🇳🇬 ECOWAS Commission President Birame Diop to Lead Regional Defence Dialogue at AFRIDEX 2026

 

General Birame Diop, the newly appointed President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, will join African defence leaders and international security stakeholders at the Africa International Defence Exhibition (AFRIDEX) 2026, placing regional cooperation and sovereign defence capability at the centre of discussions on the continent’s evolving security challenges.

Desk: Defence & Security

Date: 20 October 2026

Time: 15:00 WAT

Location: Lagos, Nigeria

Author: Nokai Origin

The former Senegalese Minister of the Armed Forces has been confirmed as a speaker at the exhibition, scheduled for 26 to 29 October at Eko Atlantic, Lagos. His participation brings senior regional leadership into a gathering focused on strengthening African defence capacity, improving operational readiness and expanding cooperation between governments, armed forces and the defence industry.

Diop brings more than three decades of military leadership and international security experience. He previously served as Chief of General Staff of the Senegalese Armed Forces and as Military Adviser in the United Nations Department of Peace Operations from 2021 to 2024. Earlier assignments included serving as Deputy Chief and Chief of Air Operations with the UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, followed by his appointment as Chief of Staff of the Senegalese Air Force.

Regional Leadership and Collective Security

Diop’s participation comes as African governments face interconnected security pressures that require stronger national capabilities alongside effective regional coordination. ECOWAS has a central role in advancing regional integration, peace and stability across West Africa, making the bloc’s representation at AFRIDEX significant to discussions on shared security priorities.

The ECOWAS presence will also extend beyond the Commission President. Francess Piagie Alghali, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, assumed office on 1 September 2026. Her portfolio covers preventive diplomacy, conflict prevention and regional peace and security, placing political and diplomatic instruments alongside military cooperation in the wider regional security framework.

AFRIDEX Content and Delegations Director Abbie Butler said the organisers were honoured to welcome Diop, his team and defence chiefs from ECOWAS member states, noting that their participation underlined the importance of regional leadership and cooperation in shaping Africa’s defence and security priorities.

Butler described the exhibition as an opportunity for African leaders, armed forces and the international defence and security community to assess changing requirements across the continent and develop partnerships that can strengthen capability, readiness and resilience.

Defence Chiefs From Across West Africa to Attend

The exhibition is expected to bring together chiefs of defence staff and equivalent armed forces leaders from across the ECOWAS region. The listed participants include General Olufemi O. Oluyede of Nigeria, General Lassina Doumbia of Côte d’Ivoire, Lieutenant General William Agyapong of Ghana and Lieutenant General Ibrahima Sory Bangoura of Guinea.

Other listed participants are Lieutenant General Fructueux Gbaguidi of Benin; Rear Admiral Manuel António Pereira Semedo of Cabo Verde; The Gambia’s Minister of Defence, Baboucarr Ousmaila Joof; General of the Army Tomás Djassi of Guinea-Bissau; Major General Davidson F. Forleh of Liberia; Vice Admiral Oumar Wade of Senegal; Lieutenant General Amara Idara Bangura of Sierra Leone; and Brigadier General Tchakpélé Aklesso of Togo.

Their attendance provides a regional dimension to the exhibition’s discussions, bringing together senior military leadership from countries confronting different but often interconnected security concerns. The programme is designed to connect government decision-makers and armed forces with procurement stakeholders, capability planners and international defence industry representatives across the land, maritime, air, cyber and space domains.

Strategic Conference to Focus on Sovereign Capability

At the centre of AFRIDEX 2026 will be its Strategic Conference, scheduled for 27 and 28 October under the theme, “Advancing Africa’s Sovereign Security Capability Through Innovation and Industrial Growth.”

The conference will examine capability development, operational readiness, resilience, regional security cooperation and long-term industrial growth. These priorities reflect the wider challenge of enabling African states to strengthen their ability to identify security requirements, develop appropriate capabilities and sustain them through partnerships, innovation and industrial development.

AFRIDEX runs from 26 to 29 October at Eko Atlantic in Lagos. Visitor registration is open to defence and security professionals, industry stakeholders and organisations seeking engagement with African markets.

🏷️ Tags: AFRIDEX 2026, General Birame Diop, ECOWAS Commission, African Defence Cooperation, Regional Security, Defence Industry

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