On 7 December, a group of soldiers stormed into the state broadcaster in Benin and declared that they had ousted President Patrice Talon. The soldiers listed grievances ranging from deteriorating security in the north to dissatisfaction with the way the country was being run. But their triumphalism was short-lived. Following requests for assistance from Talon’s government, Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu ordered his country’s air force to intervene and carry out strikes on positions associated with the coup plotters. Simultaneously, Nigeria sent troops to Benin’s main city, Cotonou, under the auspices of the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, which maintains a standby force for such contingencies. Within hours, the Beninese government announced that the coup attempt had been foiled.

For ECOWAS, the joint intervention with Nigeria marks the bloc’s firmest and most successful stance against an unconstitutional power grab since 2017, when it forced out Gambian autocrat Yahya Jammeh, who first acknowledged that he had lost elections but reversed course and tried to cling to power. Since 2020, the bloc’s inability to stop or reverse military takeovers in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali and Niger led critics to label ECOWAS incapable of enforcing regional protocols on democracy and good governance. Resisting pressure to organise elections, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso withdrew from ECOWAS in January after forming the Alliance of Sahelian States. This time, however, ECOWAS helped both in foiling the coup attempt and in preventing the bloc from potentially losing another member to entrenched military rule. It also sent a warning to potential coup plotters in the region.

President Tinubu’s role in this week’s events was key – and seemingly was driven by regional and strategic considerations. Tinubu seized a golden opportunity to underscore Nigeria’s opposition to military coups and reassert its regional leadership. In 2023, Tinubu’s stature was diminished when, as ECOWAS chairperson, his efforts to dislodge coup leaders in Niger floundered amid domestic and regional divisions. His decision to send fighter jets to Benin seems intended to set a more positive precedent while helping the country regain some of the diplomatic and political prestige it once held. Nigeria no doubt had other interests, too: seeing Benin fall under military rule could have jeopardised security cooperation against Sahel-based jihadist groups and harmed economic ties, including a landmark agreement that the neighbours signed in June to reduce trade and logistical barriers on their shared border.

While Nigeria’s decisive intervention is a win for it, its president and ECOWAS, Tinubu’s actions have prompted criticism at home. Reports suggesting that he collaborated with France in thwarting the coup have sparked allegations that Nigeria was helping the former colonial power regain lost influence in the region. Others argue that the speed of the intervention sharply contrasts with the Nigerian government’s apparently weaker response to domestic security challenges. Going forward, many Nigerians will expect Tinubu to tackle armed groups at home with the urgency and effectiveness he demonstrated in Benin.