Nigeria TV Info – Regional Security News

ECOWAS Urges Islamic Scholars to Lead Fight Against Extremism, Terrorism in West Africa

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has called on Islamic scholars across the region to take a frontline role in combating extremism and terrorism, which continue to threaten peace and stability in West Africa.

Speaking at the West African Islamic Conference on Security and Governance held Thursday in Abuja, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, described violent extremism as one of the biggest obstacles to development in the sub-region. He urged religious leaders to devise “practical and community-driven solutions” to counter the spread of radical ideologies.

Touray emphasized that scholars have the moral, spiritual, and social influence needed to guide communities away from extremist recruitment networks. He praised Nigeria's leadership role in the effort, commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s renewed drive to return out-of-school children to the classroom.

According to him, modernizing the Quranic education system is key to reducing vulnerability among young learners. He highlighted the need to protect schools, students, and teachers to prevent cases of child abuse, forced street begging, and the exploitation of young Quranic learners by extremist recruiters.