Nigeria on Monday played host to the inaugural African Chiefs of Defence Summit, bringing together defence leaders from across the continent to deliberate on collaborative strategies to address Africa’s most pressing security challenges.
The summit, held in Abuja, was declared open with a keynote address delivered on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Welcoming the defence chiefs, President Tinubu underscored the urgency of forging stronger cooperation among African militaries to tackle threats ranging from terrorism and violent extremism to piracy, organized crime, and the disruptive effects of climate change on security.
“True security is not achieved in isolation. It is built through shared intelligence, joint training, and coordinated action. Nigeria stands ready to work with our brothers and sisters across the continent to develop frameworks that are proactive, resilient, and responsive to the realities of our time,” the President’s message stated.
He urged participating countries to embrace modern approaches to warfare, including investments in cyber defence, artificial intelligence, and indigenous military technology.
Delivering a goodwill message, former Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs and United Nations diplomat, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, described the summit as historic and long overdue.
He recalled the vision of African leaders like Kwame Nkrumah, who in the 1960s championed the creation of an African High Command as a continental defence structure. While that vision has yet to fully materialize, Gambari stressed that current realities demand renewed commitment to African-led security cooperation.
“Africa’s collective security can only be enhanced with active, practical, and proactive collaboration at the regional and continental levels. There must be synergy in military cooperation, common training, shared intelligence, interoperability of armaments, and capacity building,” Gambari noted.
He cautioned that the summit must not end as “another talk show,” urging defence chiefs to agree on actionable frameworks to silence the guns across the continent.
The summit also highlighted the role of regional institutions such as ECOWAS, the African Union Peace and Security Architecture, and the African Standby Force. Participants stressed the importance of building a robust defence industrial base that is “African in origin, African in design, and African in purpose.”
The Chief of Defence Staff of Nigeria, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, and his counterparts from across Africa reiterated their readiness to harmonize doctrines, strengthen interoperability, and deepen trust to better respond to both conventional and emerging threats.
At the close of the opening session, leaders reaffirmed their commitment to rise above divisions and strengthen continental solidarity in the face of shared threats.
“Together, let us stand in defence of Africa. Together, let us secure our future,” the President’s message concluded.
The African Chiefs of Defence Summit is expected to issue a joint communiqué at the end of deliberations, outlining concrete steps for enhancing continental defence collaboration.
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