Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to leading continental security efforts and is set to take centre stage in continental security diplomacy as it prepares to host the African Chiefs of Defence Staff Summit 2025 in Abuja. The event, scheduled for August 25–27, will bring together defence leaders from across the continent to address Africa’s most pressing security challenges and strengthen cooperation among member states.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) underscored Nigeria’s readiness to secure its territory, safeguard the African region, and support global peace initiatives. He stressed that the summit will be a platform for African countries to “sit down, look at our challenges, and proffer solutions as Africans, brothers, and sisters — because charity begins at home.”
The summit, themed “Combating Contemporary Threats to Regional Peace and Security in Africa: The Role of Strategic Defence Collaboration”, will focus on fostering collaboration among African defence chiefs, promoting intelligence sharing, joint training, and coordinated responses to transnational threats.
Other objectives include strengthening the African Union’s peace and security architecture, bolstering mechanisms like the ECOWAS Standby Force, integrating the private sector into defence efforts, and creating a roundtable for homegrown African defence solutions.
Defence chiefs from all 54 African countries have been invited, with over 90 percent confirming attendance. The summit will be held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre and Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.
Highlights include an opening ceremony to be declared by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and a keynote address by United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Her Excellency Amina Mohammed. A defence exhibition showcasing Africa’s defence capabilities will run concurrently with the summit.
The four-day programme will feature plenary sessions, technical discussions, and a gala night to foster informal networking and cultural exchange.
The CDS listed critical threats confronting Africa, including terrorism and violent extremism from groups like Boko Haram, al-Shabaab, and ISIS affiliates; rising incidents of banditry and kidnappings; piracy and maritime insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea; and emerging cyber threats to defence systems.
He also noted the climate-security nexus, resource conflicts, migration pressures, and environmental stressors, particularly in regions such as the Lake Chad Basin.
The CDS noted that the summit will explore ways to improve interoperability among African militaries, enhance defence diplomacy, and harmonise strategies among regional blocs such as ECOWAS, SADC, and EAC.
Investment in technology, logistics, personnel training, and indigenous defence production will be high on the agenda, alongside youth engagement through cadet programmes and military academies.
The CDS General Musa said the summit aims to produce, a unified African security strategy, frameworks for joint military training and intelligence sharing, increased private sector participation in defence resourcing and strengthened bilateral and multilateral security partnerships.
“Our goal is to secure our continent,” he declared, adding that African nations must “step up to take charge of their responsibilities” rather than depending on external actors.
Appreciating the Nigerian President for his continued backing of the armed forces, the CDS also thanked Nigerians for their support. He emphasised that “defeating asymmetric warfare requires all-of-society and all-of-government support” and called on citizens to take ownership of the armed forces.
“We will do whatever it takes to ensure our dear country is safe and secure, our region is safe and secure, and our continent is safe and secure,” he said.
With Nigeria’s population exceeding 200 million and its vast landmass of over 923,000 square kilometres, the CDS asserted that the nation has much to offer to Africa and the world.
“This summit will project Nigeria back to where it used to be — as a leader in African peace, security, and cooperation,” he concluded.