AI can help defeat terrorism — Don tells ECOWAS

A Professor of Cybersecurity and Computing, Uche Mbanaso, has urged the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to embrace and deploy Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in tackling the sub-region’s complex security challenges, including violent extremism and terrorism.

Mbanaso made the call while speaking at the ECOWAS Parliament’s 2025 Second Extraordinary Session in Port Harcourt, with the theme: “Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Parliamentary Efficiency, Ethical Governance and Development in the ECOWAS Region.”

The week-long seminar aims to familiarise lawmakers with AI applications and their deployment across critical sectors in West Africa.

Delivering a paper titled “AI Deployment in the Security Sector: Advancing Peace, Counterterrorism, and Public Safety,” Mbanaso said AI could transform regional security architecture if integrated within a unified and structured framework.

“The integration of AI in the security sector is poised to transform regional safety, offering both opportunities and challenges for the sub-region. ECOWAS must emphasise a harmonised framework supported by ethical guidelines to maximise benefits while mitigating risks,” he said.

He, however, cautioned that issues such as over-reliance on AI, data privacy risks, reduced human creativity, and dishonesty could undermine its effectiveness if not properly managed.

Mbanaso stressed the need for deliberate policies, digital infrastructure development, and mandatory training in AI usage across the region. According to him, AI should support—not replace—human creativity, innovation, and decision-making.

Highlighting practical applications, he proposed AI-driven border control and monitoring systems as critical mechanisms to counter terrorism and organised crime across ECOWAS borders.

He suggested:

A unified AI-powered ecosystem for real-time detection of unusual behaviour and crimes.
Development of large-scale centralised databases alongside decentralised information-sharing among ECOWAS states.
An Advance Passenger Information (API) mechanism to allow airlines to transmit live passenger data to border authorities for pre-checks.
An ECOWAS Border Surveillance System linking drones, cameras, and sensors to national and regional monitoring networks.
AI tools such as computer vision for anomaly detection, document authentication, and drone-assisted patrols.
AI-powered chatbots to provide real-time support for migration and residence applications within the sub-region.

He emphasised that adopting a Uniform Artificial Intelligence Technology (UAIT) across ECOWAS would significantly strengthen regional border management and counter cross-border terrorism and serious crime.

“This should be a concrete effort towards a ‘smartening’ of ECOWAS borders, which demands the development of interlinked information systems and decentralised information exchange for security agencies,” he said.