Africa’s Coup Surge — and Nigeria’s Moment of Responsibility
By Jerry Adesewo
Across West and Central Africa, the drumbeats of military takeovers have become alarmingly familiar. From the recent upheavals in some Sahel states to the abrupt mutinies in smaller nations, there is a troubling wave of constitutional disruption sweeping the region. In the midst of this instability, the events in the Benin Republic on 7 December 2025 stand out — not just because a coup attempt was interrupted, but because Nigeria stepped up, acted, and helped protect democracy beyond its borders.
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When soldiers in Cotonou broadcast on national television, declaring they had removed the sitting president, suspended the constitution, and assumed power under a self-styled “Military Committee for Refoundation,” alarm bells rang far beyond Benin’s borders. Loyalist forces in Benin moved quickly, retook control, and the government declared the coup foiled.
Yet the swiftness of that success owes much to regional solidarity — especially Nigeria’s readiness to respond. As the crisis unfolded, the Nigerian Air Force reportedly deployed fighter jets to Beninese airspace, conducting surveillance and signalling that Nigeria viewed the attempted takeover as a serious regional threat.
By doing so, Nigeria sent a firm message: coups in our neighborhood are not domestic quirks to be ignored. They are alarms for everyone.
Why This Matters for All of Africa
First: coups are contagious. Where one country falls, neighbours — especially those sharing porous borders — quickly become vulnerable. The threat is not limited to a single nation’s politics. Weaponised grievances, fractured militaries, or political opportunism in one state can ripple across the region.
Second: legitimacy matters. Many of the recent coups have been justified by narratives of “neglect,” “inequality,” or “security failure.” But such arguments rarely produce better governance — they only compound fragility. The Benin attempt cited security deterioration in the north and alleged neglect of soldiers’ welfare. Had the coup succeeded, the outcome would have likely been more chaos, less accountability.
Third: collective defence of democracy. By acting quickly and decisively, Nigeria and other regional players reaffirmed that constitutional order remains the shared expectation for West Africa. This decision avoided a dangerous precedent and helped guard against normalization of coups as acceptable instruments of change.
Nigeria’s Moment of Responsibility
For Nigeria — the continent’s most populous democracy — the decision to respond isn’t simply altruistic: it is self-preserving. The country shares a long, open border with Benin, and instability there could easily spill over. Refugee flows, arms smuggling, insurgent infiltration — the risks are real.
But beyond self-interest, there is symbolic weight. Nigeria’s posture sends a larger signal: democratic values and regional solidarity matter. If Africa hopes to resist the tide of authoritarian regression, then it must practice what it preaches beyond its own soil.
At this historical moment, Nigeria had a choice: remain inward-looking as clouds gathered across Africa, or act, assert shared responsibility, and defend stability. The deployment of surveillance aircraft, the diplomatic condemnation, and the support for Benin’s constitutional institutions reflect a maturity of regional responsibility.
What Africa Should Learn
The coup in Benin was foiled — but the underlying conditions remain: disillusionment, economic distress, security crises, and institutional fragility. The fact that a plot emerged in Benin — once considered a stable democracy — underscores just how delicate our systems are.
Going forward, Africa must not treat coups as isolated headlines, but as symptoms of wider governance failure. That means:
- Investing in democratic institutions, not just rhetoric.
- Strengthening regional security cooperation, not only in times of crisis, but as an ongoing architecture.
- Creating robust civic and military oversight, so grievances are addressed before they become violent ruptures.
Most importantly, we must reject normalizing force as a pathway to change. For coup-makers, democracy becomes just another transaction. But for Africa’s citizens — especially civil society, youth, creatives, and all those whose voices don’t echo in military barracks — democracy must remain alive in the ballot, not the barrel.
Nigeria’s Responsibility and the Hope It Offers
That Nigeria interceded. That it mobilized jets, reinforced solidarity, and helped save democracy in its neighbour is a turning point, an act of agency from within Africa.
If Nigeria can lead this way — not by empire or domination, but by solidarity and constitutional principle — then perhaps the continent still has a chance to turn the tide.
Let this be a message to would-be coup plotters: the world is watching. And more than that, your region is watching. Let it also be a message to citizens everywhere: legitimacy, justice, and collective responsibility still matter, because in Africa today, protecting democracy is not an option. It is a necessity.