Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has warned that Africa is confronting increasingly complex and serious security challenges.
He urged for stronger collaboration among nations to address them.
Matawalle stated that the continent’s security must be guided by African-led solutions, leadership, and unity.
During his address at the opening of the Africa Chiefs of Defence Staff Conference in Abuja, Matawalle highlighted the transnational and asymmetric nature of these threats.
He emphasised that tackling them requires more than just resilience—it demands robust continental cooperation.
The Minister noted Nigeria’s prominent role in regional peace and security, citing the Nigerian armed forces’ involvement in various peacekeeping, counter-terrorism, and humanitarian missions both within Africa and internationally.
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening defense partnerships to foster peace, development, and democratic values across the continent.
Matawalle also called on African nations to embrace modern technology, such as artificial intelligence (AI), to combat terrorist organisations like Boko Haram, ISWAP, Al-Qaeda, and Al-Shabaab.
He stressed the need for digital solutions to protect the territorial integrity of African countries, stating that the future of warfare is digital and requires significant investment in cyber defence and indigenous military technologies.
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“No single country can go it alone,” Matawalle told conference participants, urging them to work together to share intelligence and build trust among their defence institutions.
He encouraged African leaders not only to keep pace with global trends but to take a leadership role in shaping them.
