CEC Opinion Piece: West Africa’s Changing Security Landscape – A New Opportunity for European, Canadian and African Defence Collaboration

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West Africa is entering a period of profound change in its security and defence landscape.

For much of the past decade, international attention has understandably focused on the deteriorating security environment across the Sahel. However, the implications now stretch considerably further. Terrorism and insurgency, organised crime, piracy and maritime insecurity, illegal trafficking, cyber threats and increasingly sophisticated cross-border criminal networks are placing pressure on governments throughout the region.

For the coastal states of West Africa, the challenge is particularly important. Instability in the Sahel does not respect national borders, while the Gulf of Guinea remains strategically important to international shipping, energy infrastructure and global trade.

The European Union has already recognised this changing environment through its Security and Defence Initiative in support of West African countries of the Gulf of Guinea, designed to strengthen the ability of countries including Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo and Benin to respond to security threats and the potential spillover of instability from the Sahel. But I believe there is a wider opportunity emerging.

Rather than viewing West African security primarily through the traditional model of equipment exports, training missions and bilateral assistance, Europe, Canada and their West African partners should increasingly consider how integrated defence-industrial partnerships can strengthen regional security while creating economic and technological opportunities for all sides.

And importantly, this should not be a conversation restricted to governments and major defence primes. SMEs have an increasingly important role to play.

Ghana – Building Capability Before the Threat Arrives

Ghana provides perhaps one of the clearest examples of how this approach could develop.

Historically one of West Africa's more stable democracies, Ghana occupies an increasingly important strategic position between the Gulf of Guinea and the deteriorating security environment further north.

The threat is therefore not simply Ghana's domestic security environment today, but what that environment could look like tomorrow.

This is already being recognised internationally. In April 2026, Ghana and the European Union signed a Security and Defence Partnership covering areas including counter-terrorism, maritime security, cybersecurity, border management, peacekeeping and crisis response. The commercial and industrial implications deserve greater attention.

Ghana does not necessarily require enormous quantities of sophisticated strategic platforms. Much of the requirement is likely to revolve around improving situational awareness, mobility, communications, surveillance, maritime domain awareness, border security, cyber resilience, logistics and the ability of security forces to operate effectively across difficult terrain.

These are precisely the areas where specialist European and Canadian SMEs can compete.

Small UAV systems, sensors, secure communications, counter-UAS technologies, intelligence and surveillance solutions, protected mobility, specialist vehicles, maritime surveillance, maintenance technologies, simulation and training systems, cyber defence and command-and-control solutions can all contribute towards strengthening Ghana's security architecture. But the objective should not simply be to sell equipment into Ghana.

The more interesting opportunity is to develop partnerships with Ghanaian companies and institutions covering assembly, maintenance, training, technology transfer, software development and long-term support. This creates something considerably more sustainable than an export transaction.

Nigeria – Scale, Modernisation and Regional Security

If Ghana represents preventative capability building, Nigeria represents the scale of the wider West African defence opportunity. Nigeria is simultaneously West Africa's largest economy, its most populous country and one of its most important military powers.

Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province remain serious threats in the northeast, while banditry, kidnapping, organised crime, oil theft, piracy, communal violence and border security challenges continue to place enormous demands upon Nigeria's security services.

The Nigerian Government's 2026 budget allocated approximately ₦5.41 trillion to defence and security, alongside commitments to Armed Forces modernisation, intelligence-led operations, border security and technology-enabled surveillance. Nigeria therefore represents considerably more than a traditional defence exports. It could become an important defence-industrial partner.

Nigeria already possesses domestic defence-industrial capability and a substantial technical and engineering base. The opportunity for European and Canadian companies should therefore increasingly involve identifying where international technology and expertise can complement Nigerian manufacturing, engineering and operational experience.

That could include areas such as UAV and counter-UAV systems, ISR, secure communications, electronic warfare, maritime surveillance, armoured and protected mobility, aviation support, cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, simulation, logistics and maintenance. For SMEs in particular, Nigeria's scale creates opportunities that may simply not exist in smaller markets.

A European sensor company, for example, might partner with a Nigerian systems integrator. A Canadian specialist vehicle or advanced manufacturing company could work with local industry on adaptation, assembly or sustainment. A cybersecurity SME could develop capability alongside Nigerian technology companies rather than attempting to service the market remotely.

Beyond Ghana and Nigeria

The opportunity extends considerably beyond these two countries. Côte d'Ivoire, Benin and Togo face many of the same pressures generated by instability further north. Senegal remains an important Atlantic security partner, while the wider Gulf of Guinea creates continuing requirements around maritime domain awareness, coastal surveillance, port security and the protection of offshore infrastructure.

A surveillance technology developed jointly between a Canadian SME, a European systems integrator and a West African technology partner could potentially have applications across multiple countries. The same applies to UAVs, counter-UAS technologies, secure communications, maritime systems, training, cyber defence and logistics.

This is where the commercial opportunity begins to align with the strategic requirement.

Why Europe and Canada?

Europe already has extensive political, economic and security relationships throughout West Africa. Canada brings something different but highly complementary.

Canadian defence companies have considerable expertise across aerospace, sensors, communications, simulation, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, specialist vehicles, advanced manufacturing and Arctic and remote-area operations. Many of these technologies translate extremely well into African requirements.

Operating across the enormous distances and difficult environments of northern Canada requires reliable communications, surveillance, logistics and autonomous technologies. While the climatic conditions could hardly be more different, many of the underlying operational challenges—distance, infrastructure limitations and the requirement to maintain situational awareness across large territories—have similarities.

European industry, meanwhile, brings geographic proximity, extensive African experience, mature defence supply chains and increasingly significant investment in defence innovation.

Combine these capabilities with West Africa's operational knowledge, growing industrial base and expanding technology sector and an interesting triangle begins to emerge:

European technology, market access & Specialist Canadian innovation capability.

West African industrial capacity, operational experience and regional market knowledge. The objective should be to connect them.

The defence industry often appears dominated by enormous programmes and equally enormous companies. But modern defence capability increasingly depends upon technologies that can be developed by relatively small organisations.

AI, autonomous systems, software-defined defence, sensors, cybersecurity, advanced materials, electronic warfare and communications are all areas where SMEs can innovate rapidly.

The European Commission itself recognises the importance of SMEs within defence supply chains and the challenges smaller companies face accessing cross-border defence contracts. West Africa potentially creates another route for internationalisation.

A Canadian SME that might struggle to approach a European prime directly could enter a consortium alongside a European partner addressing an African requirement. Likewise, an African technology company could partner with European and Canadian SMEs to develop products that are subsequently marketed internationally. The relationship therefore does not have to be one-directional.

From Procurement to Defence Ecosystems

West Africa should not simply become another destination for imported defence equipment. The region has an opportunity to develop stronger defence-industrial ecosystems capable of manufacturing, maintaining, adapting and eventually exporting technologies. International partners can help accelerate that process.

Training local engineers, establishing maintenance facilities, creating joint ventures, supporting technology transfer and integrating African SMEs into European and Canadian supply chains would produce benefits far beyond individual defence contracts.

For West African governments, it strengthens sovereign capability and reduces long-term dependence upon overseas suppliers. For European and Canadian companies, it creates durable commercial partnerships and access to rapidly developing markets.

For governments in Europe and Canada, it contributes towards regional stability while strengthening relationships with strategically important African partners and for SMEs on all three sides, it creates opportunities that would be extremely difficult to access independently.

Security Through Partnership

There is also a broader geopolitical dimension that cannot be ignored. West Africa is becoming an increasingly contested strategic environment. Security relationships are diversifying, and governments throughout the region have more choices regarding their international defence partners than perhaps at any point in recent history.

Europe and Canada therefore cannot assume that historic relationships alone will guarantee future influence. Partnership has to offer tangible value.

That means listening to what West African governments and industry actually require rather than simply presenting existing products. It means recognising local industrial participation as an opportunity rather than an obstacle.

And it means moving away from purely transactional buyer-seller relationships towards long-term cooperation involving governments, Armed Forces, universities, technology companies, defence primes and SMEs. The threats facing West Africa are real but so is the opportunity. A more secure Ghana protects not simply Ghana but contributes towards containing instability before it reaches the Gulf of Guinea and a stronger and more capable Nigeria contributes towards security across an enormous part of West Africa.

Improved maritime security protects African economies while simultaneously protecting European and Canadian commercial interests and international supply chains. And stronger defence-industrial relationships create jobs, investment, technology transfer and economic opportunities alongside greater security.

As Europe rearms, Canada expands its defence-industrial capabilities and West Africa confronts evolving security threats, there is a significant opportunity to build an integrated Europe–Canada–West Africa defence network centred on shared security, SME collaboration, industrial partnerships and innovation.

Nicholas Cobb

Founder & Managing Partner -CEC Global Communications

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About Nic: Founding CEC in 2012, Nic has advised a number of leading energy, security, fintech, HNWI/funds, political and oil gas stakeholders across the world. With nearly 20 years of industry experience, Nic is able to help advise you on all elements of your strategic communications strategy and facilitate connections at the highest levels. Nic is also the chair to a number of industry events and a frequent media contributor - speaking on a range of topics including: energy, business, politics and the Former Soviet Union.​ Nic is also a volunteer crew member with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) - the UK's volunteer based saving lives at sea charity.  

Nic is also the European Director for the Western Canada Defence Industries Association.

In 2024 Nic was made a Knight Commander of the Order des Belges (TME CdB) for humanitarian services. 

For all info or to contact Nic, please email nicholas.cobb@cecglobal.co 

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