The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, has called for a comprehensive review of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), saying changes in the regional security environment, including Niger’s withdrawal from the force, require stronger intelligence cooperation, faster response mechanisms, sustainable funding and renewed diplomatic engagement across the Sahel.


Desk: Defence & Security
Date: October 7, 2026
Time: 11:12 WAT
Location: Abuja, Nigeria

Enikanolaiye made the call while delivering a keynote address at the opening of a two-day High-Level International Forum on the MNJTF at the National Defence College, Abuja, on October 6, 2026. The forum was convened by Defence Headquarters in collaboration with the Irregular Warfare Centre of the National Defence College to examine the future of the regional force and its response to evolving threats in the Lake Chad Basin and wider Sahel.

The Minister of State said the MNJTF had recorded significant gains since the operation was authorised in 2015, including the recovery of territories previously held by Boko Haram, stabilisation efforts and humanitarian interventions, with Nigerian troops constituting a major fighting component.

He also highlighted the use of strategic peace-oriented messaging in Kanuri, Hausa, Arabic, French and English as part of efforts that contributed to terrorist surrenders, the weakening of cohesion among terrorist factions and the reopening of cross-border commercial activity.



However, Enikanolaiye said Niger’s exit from the MNJTF had created operational and intelligence gaps for the remaining troop-contributing countries, particularly Nigeria, which shares an approximately 1,600-kilometre border with Niger.

He said the security consequences of instability moving southward from the Sahel were already a concern for countries along the region's wider security belt, making continued engagement with Niger necessary.

Nigeria, he said, would continue diplomatic efforts to encourage Niger to return to the regional security arrangement, stressing that such engagement should be pursued without politics or ego.

Enikanolaiye also called for a review of the MNJTF mandate, saying the concept under which the force was established reflected a different security environment. He urged the African Union to convene consultations involving troop-contributing countries and other stakeholders to determine how the force should be adapted to present realities.



He identified intelligence sharing, early warning and, particularly, early response as priorities, noting that security warnings may exist without producing timely action.

The Minister further called for predictable and sustainable financing for regional security operations, arguing that reliance on voluntary and ad hoc contributions was insufficient for a long-term multinational operation.

He advocated greater use of African Union peace-support financing mechanisms and continued investment in the equipment, supplies and operational requirements of the MNJTF.

Beyond military responses, Enikanolaiye said the region needed stronger governance and government presence in vulnerable areas, arguing that security challenges are also connected to governance deficits and ungoverned spaces.

He called for a whole-of-government approach involving military and civilian institutions, development partners and regional organisations, while urging stronger coordination with the Lake Chad Basin Commission.


The Minister also placed protection of civilians within the future security framework, calling for operations to remain consistent with human rights principles and international humanitarian law.

The forum followed an opening address by the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd), who called for the MNJTF's structure, capabilities, intelligence, command and control, logistics and financing to be reassessed in response to changing security conditions. Chief of Defence Staff, General OO Oluyede, similarly stressed sustained cooperation, intelligence sharing, interoperability and mutual trust among regional and international stakeholders.

Speaking in an interview immediately after the event, Taraba State Governor, Dr Agbu Kefas, linked Nigeria's regional security responsibilities to the strengthening of its own national security architecture.


Kefas described Nigeria as critical to peace and stability in West Africa and said the country could not achieve regional peace without continuing to play a leading role in peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts.

The Governor also welcomed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's approval of the initiative to establish the Nigerian Army's 10th Division in Taraba State.

He said the new division would strengthen security in Taraba and surrounding areas, including Adamawa and neighbouring states, noting that Taraba's position as one of Nigeria's largest states, its border with Cameroon and its links with six other states gave the formation wider security significance.

The forum brought together senior military and security officials, policymakers, academics and strategic partners, including representatives of the African Union, European Union, Lake Chad Basin Commission and troop-contributing countries.

The discussions are expected to produce recommendations on the future structure, financing, intelligence cooperation and operational effectiveness of the MNJTF as regional states confront an increasingly interconnected security environment.

🏷️ Tags: MNJTF, Sola Enikanolaiye, Lake Chad Security, Taraba Governor Agbu Kefas, Nigerian Army 10th Division, Sahel Security

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