…Calls for establishment of a permanent African Chiefs of Defence Staff Forum
TUE AUG 26 2025-theGBJournal| President Bola Ahmed Tinubu again has stressed the need for collective action and cooperation among African nations to effectively combat terrorism, cybercrime, transnational crime and other forms of insecurity on the continent.
He implored the continent’s defence chiefs to come up with a fresh doctrine of continental defence built on trust, shared intelligence and coordinated strategy.
The Nigerian leader, who stated this on Monday when he declared open the maiden edition of the African Chiefs of Defence Staff Summit 2025 in Abuja, said there must be a framework for African defence institutions to “speak with one voice and act with one purpose”.
President Tinubu, who was represented at the summit by his deputy, Vice President Kashim Shettima, said the extreme scale of threats across Africa has made it a must for nations to pause and reflect.
“From the deserts where insurgency festers, to the high seas where piracy prowls, from the silent corridors of cybercrime to the ruthless networks of transnational criminals, none of these tragedies respects borders, and neither should our response.
”What is true of our challenges must also be true of our resolve: we cannot neutralise these threats in isolation. This is the moment to reassess our military objectives in the collective aspiration to make Africa safe. It is time to forge a new doctrine of continental defence, one rooted in trust, shared intelligence, and coordinated strategy,” he declared.
The Nigerian leader drew the attention of the defence chiefs to a stark reality about Africa, saying the continent is bound as a family, interwoven not just by borders but destiny
President Tinubu noted that the geographical configuration of the continent has made its nations more than kith and kin.
“And in this family, defence is the first expression of love each member can promise the other,” he pointed out, maintaining that the maiden summit is “not just a convergence of uniforms and titles” but a convocation “of Africa’s guardians to the village square of ideas.
“There has never been a time when our collective defence invited us so urgently to sit together, to reason together. This Summit, the first of its kind, could not have come at a better time. I am, therefore, deeply honoured to welcome each of you to Abuja, the heart of Nigeria and the home of Africa’s endless possibilities,” he added.
President Tinubu called for establishment of a permanent African Chiefs of Defence Staff Forum, a platform he said would avail the military chiefs the opportunity to keep dialoguing, strategizing, and coordinating their operations.
“I propose the establishment of a permanent African Chiefs of Defence Staff Forum, a platform for continuous dialogue, strategic foresight, and operational coordination. Let us institutionalise this spirit of unity and make it a cornerstone of Africa’s security architecture,” he stated, urging them to ensure the summit does not end with just a standing ovation and accolade.
For Nigeria, the President said the position of the most populous nation on the continent had always been straightforward: “to be a good neighbour and a brother’s keeper in the struggle for peace.”
He said the Armed Forces of Nigeria has always stood in concert with its neighbours, and even beyond “in peacekeeping missions, counterterrorism operations, and humanitarian endeavours.
“We hold no illusion: security is the foundation upon which the edifice of progress must stand. That is why we must use this Summit not merely as a meeting but as a covenant to deepen cooperation, through joint training, harmonised doctrines, and interoperable systems. For this to endure, we must build a framework where our defence institutions speak with one voice and act with one purpose,” he maintained.
Observing that modern day threats “are asymmetric, digital, and often invisible,” the Nigerian leader implored African nations to “invest in cyber defence, artificial intelligence, and indigenous military innovation,” even as called for collaboration with the private sector to achieve the goal.
He continued: “Africa cannot remain merely a consumer of technology; we must be creators, innovators, and owners of the tools that secure our tomorrow.
“I therefore urge this Summit to explore avenues for defence-industrial collaboration, research partnerships, and African-led solutions to African security challenges. In this journey, I call upon the organised Private Sector to be our ally, to invest in the future of defence as an investment in the survival of nations.”
President Tinubu further paid tribute to the fallen soldiers, noting that they must be honoured by “ensuring their legacy is enshrined in the institutions we build, the values we uphold, and the partnerships we forge.”
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