 As of the breakfast in Plosivia, Africa, we're looking at, you know, the request by the federal government urging the ECOS for support. The ECOS Regional Security Division on November the 11th in 2021 hosted an official launch ceremony in Abuja, Nigeria, organized with the support of the ECOS Peace and Security Architecture and Operations, a regional project funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development. The launch event was attended by key stakeholders and relevant partners of the ECOS Regional Security Division, including representatives of the European Union, the German Government High Commission of ECOS Member States and relevant ECOS Directorates. Well the launch event was also attended virtually by the representatives from the African Security Sector Network, the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance, United Nations Development Programme, Gambia, the African Union Commission and the Special Representative of President of the ECOS Commission Office. The Gambia and the GIZ Please Programme in Gambia, beyond launching the SSRG Policy Framework, a comprehensive report first signed and endorsed in 2016, that's in June, which promotes common security standards. The event also aimed at reiterating the commitment of ECOS towards the dissemination and implementation of the ASS, I beg your pardon, the SSRG Policy Framework within Member States. Furthermore, the launch ceremony served as a platform to commit to next step towards implementation of ECOS Security Sector Reform and Governance Policy Framework, which facilitates dialogue with partners as well as internally within ECOS and the future action for full implementation of Security Sector Reform and Governance Policy Framework, increasing of the level of awareness in the public, the media and institution, it's active in the area of security sector reform and essentially raise the level of stakeholders engagement. Well, just recently, the federal government is also requesting the support, asking that you know, the ECOS push ahead with the support for regional security. We have Paula Jimé, Global Affairs Analyst who joins the conversation this morning. Paula Jimé, it's good to have you join us. Thank you for having me and good morning. Well good morning to you. I mean, quickly, let's show your thoughts. The federal government is, you know, urging the support of ECOS right here with security concerns. Do you think, and looking at the fact that you know, in 2021, there was a launch at the end of the day, do you think that ECOS has what it takes to leave up to its expectation or the request that's been put before it? So as you know, ECOS like every regional, they call them economic, regional economic community. And ECOS has been very, you know, is one of those that has been performing very well. One of the areas, they're not just, even though they were set up for economic reasons from their names, economic integration, but security without a security, you cannot develop economically. So they are intertwined. So because of that, they have had them to come up with some mechanisms, some protocol, you know, peace and security mechanisms. They have anti-terrorism strategy and the Gulf of Guinea. And now that, you know, terrorists are all over the place. So they have all that to be able to take care of, secure the region. But what happens is that, first of all, you say that a team or a club is as strong as its weakest member. That is why they have, no country can do it alone. So they have all come together to put everything, put resources, and be able to make sure that those that organize crimes or those that are behind them do not have any weak link through which they can attack or operate from. So it is there. But the strength in here is that Nigeria is a super, you know, a regional superpower and should be leading this charge. One, some of the analysts will find this thing that Nigeria is, you know, making this call openly. There are channels. For instance, there is the Defense Ministers of Defense Security Committee, Chief of Staff, Chief of Defense Committee. There is also the police, regional police, West African police. These are where, you know, these things can be done, both at the bilateral level and multilateral, you know, because at times you have to deal with security, but with your immediate neighbor before you now talk about regional, at the regional level. So Nigeria should be leading this charge and not, you know, create this impression like an elephant now calling on other animals to do his job. So it has to lead, provide the leadership and get other countries behind it. I don't think Nigeria is saying that the other countries are not pulling their weight. And if they are not, I think there are channels through which this can be addressed. All right, Mr. Jibet, you know, this security sector reform governance policy was launched last year. And what the echo as president did say at the launching, which took place in Nigeria, was that the security sector reform governance policy primarily seeks to promote common security standards in the region like you've just said. It also aims to, you know, complement nationally led initiatives. And then thirdly, to promote regional security coordination and cooperation to effectively tackle new and emerging security challenges. It's quite important. You've also talked about these new and emerging security challenges. So we're looking at number one, regional cooperation and then having common standards. Number two, improving what the nation states individually do in terms of their nationally led initiatives. And then three, of course, we're looking at, like we said, cooperation. But we're coming from a history where we had what we call ECOMOG. You know, the West African states were able to coordinate themselves effectively to address their security situations as a block and even to even move to other parts of Africa. What do you think has happened to make it necessary for such a governance policy to be, you know, raised, you know, with the likes of the United Nations Development Program, we have the Geneva Center for Security, Sector Governance, African Security Sector Network, and NOVA. Is it that there's been some retrogression or this is just something that's normal as far as these multilateral agencies are concerned and how they do their work, especially with the UNDP? So SSRG, whatever, Security Reforms, Sector Reform and Governance SSRG, it's not new. I think from the days of Bank of Mona, Secretary-General of the UN, that was when it came up on the board. And then which should be driven by at regional, national regional and then continental and then global level. And now what UN was expecting, the expectation is that these regional organizations should drive it. They should do that because they understand the dynamics in their area and their peculiarities. And they call us what they have done is not trying to domesticate it, bring it home as it were. And like I was saying, there are mechanisms to do that. What has happened? You asked the question, why is it that something has gone wrong? Yes, something has gone wrong. Governance is not political governance. It's not what it should be. And when that happens, it impacts on the security. Okay? So when leaders, for instance, do not respect human rights, when they tamper with the constitution, remember that in a COVID region, three countries are now under military rule. And then you say, you know, maybe counted because others are likely to follow if a COVID does not step up. So what is the cause? But what are the causes? I think that is where we should be, what will be addressing. The causes are the fact that there has been a breakdown of governance. Governance system in West Africa has degenerated. It has, you know, it's not what it used to be. Nations, you have presidents that are trying now to remain in power, tenure elongation, top term, if you like. And in doing so, they are tampering with the national constitution. They are rigging elections, tampering with electoral laws, and then come in oppressing and suppressing opposition, and not allowing citizens to enjoy their human rights. And now providing the benefit, again, we come to, you know, the dividends of benefits of democracy. The social system is not what it should be. And no education, health, and infrastructure. When this breakdown, it adds to what you call the breakdown of a governance system. That is the reason. These are the things that give rise to all these, you have agitations, you have Boko Haram, you have insurgency, you have a separatist movement because the governance system has collapsed. I think that is what, and then there is the, you know, deficient, you know, deficit of leadership. I think from at the national, the regional, and then maybe continental level. These are the drivers and the triggers of insecurity. And so if you want to address them, you now have to go back to, you know, the root causes. And once you address the root causes, and look at unemployment, for instance. When you have an army of youth that aren't employed, they are, you know, ready subjects to be recruited into criminality. And that and so on and so forth, or you talk about separatist movement or the call for self-determination. These are all the causes. We have to go now. The governance system has failed. Yes. Please go ahead. Apologies, global affairs analysts. We have to go now. But, you know, on the other hand, I mean, the producers and those behind the scene are asking that we move. And that's really because we're out of time. But I was really going to ask if, you know, the synergy between the AU and ECOS also has actually helped in any way, you know, with the fight against insecurity and also with the support, you know, that Niger and maybe other countries within the region are asking for. If you can answer that within a few seconds, it would be great. Okay. I was saying that it begins with leadership. If the leadership both at the national and then the regional level has failed, they cannot now bring, you know, these mechanisms to work. So let them work as governance systems. If the governance systems are working by good leadership and then things will work. ECOS, AU, I think they are not doing what they should be doing. And that is because of the fact that leadership has collapsed and then governance system is a far cry from what it should be. Thank you so much. We really appreciate your time this morning. And we look forward to sharing more striking and interesting issues. Thank you. And with that, we come to the end of the breakfast of plus TV Africa. It's been an interesting deal of conversation. We will be back tomorrow with more interesting discussions and analysis by also being informed that you can, you know, watch whatever you missed. You just won't have a recap. We have it all on our social media platforms, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, plus TV Africa on YouTube. We have two accounts plus TV Africa and plus TV Africa lifestyle where you can watch live streams. So right then, of course, on the internet you can search us out at plusTVAfrica.com. We return tomorrow with more. My name is Kofi Bartels. And I am messy a buckle. Many thanks for watching.