Nigeria's Defence Minister Advocates for African Security Cooperation

At the 18th Ordinary Session of the Specialised Technical Committee on Defence, Safety and Security and the 21st Ordinary Meeting of African Chiefs of Defence Staff and Heads of Safety and Security in Bujumbura, Burundi, Nigeria's Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Muhammed Matawalle, called for stronger continental security cooperation. He emphasized the need for intelligence sharing and interoperability among African armed forces to combat interconnected threats such as terrorism, transnational organized crime, and technology-driven security challenges.

Matawalle highlighted the importance of collective action and sustained political commitment to the African Peace and Security Architecture and the African Standby Force. He noted that joint operations have proven effective in degrading terrorist networks and stressed that military responses should address underlying issues like poverty and unemployment.

Matawalle reaffirmed Nigeria's commitment to African solutions for African problems and its ongoing contributions to peace support operations and counter-terrorism initiatives.