By Momodu Favour

The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) West Africa has unveiled a new report highlighting growing concerns over the resurgence of military rule and its implications for governance, security, and development across the Sahel region.

At the official presentation held in Abuja on Monday, the Director of CDD-West Africa, Dauda Garuba, said the report underscores the organisation’s commitment to strengthening democratic institutions, preventing conflict, and promoting people-focused development across West Africa.

Garuba noted that the Sahel continues to grapple with complex and evolving challenges, particularly a wave of military takeovers that have reshaped governance structures and triggered far-reaching socio-economic and political consequences.

According to him, the report offers a comprehensive, multi-dimensional analysis of governance, security, and development trends, examining how military-led administrations are influencing resource allocation, civil liberties, and cross-border mobility.

It also explores the strategies adopted by the Alliance of Sahel States in consolidating legitimacy and addressing persistent terrorism threats.

“The report builds on our earlier work on military populism and the emergence of the AES bloc, providing deeper insights into measurable trends, societal impacts, and regional interdependence,” Garuba said.

He expressed optimism that the findings would spark informed debate and guide policy decisions among governments, civil society actors, and international stakeholders, while stressing the need for collaboration in tackling insecurity across the region.

Presenting the research findings, Lassane Ouedraogo argued that the most pressing long-term challenge confronting West Africa is not terrorism itself, but the deepening disunity it has created among countries in the region.

While acknowledging terrorism as a serious threat, Ouedraogo said its broader consequences including military coups, shifting political alliances, and the withdrawal of some countries from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)—are reshaping regional relationships.

He explained that countries are responding differently to the crisis. Some have adopted pragmatic approaches that separate security concerns from economic and diplomatic engagement, while others have taken a more rigid stance by merging security, political, and development responses.

“This divergence is weakening cooperation among regional institutions and driving fragmentation rather than collective action,” he said.

Also speaking, former CDD-West Africa Director and Chairman of the event, Jibrin Ibrahim, called for deeper reflection on why segments of the population in the Sahel appear to support military regimes.

He said the report highlights the need to shift focus from counterterrorism alone to addressing the everyday needs and livelihoods of citizens.

According to Ibrahim, despite democratic setbacks, military governments in parts of the Sahel are gaining a degree of popular legitimacy by positioning themselves as responsive to citizens’ immediate concerns.

“They are trying to demonstrate to their citizens that they are addressing fundamental issues affecting the lives and livelihoods of ordinary people,” he said.

In a goodwill message, Colton Brydges, First Secretary at the High Commission of Canada in Nigeria, stressed the importance of investing in coup prevention and strengthening democratic institutions.

He noted that where democracy has failed to deliver economic benefits for citizens, alternative systems of governance—even military rule may become increasingly attractive.

The report comes amid a shifting political landscape in the Sahel, where recent military takeovers and new regional alliances continue to test the cohesion of West African institutions and the future of democratic governance in the region.