Insecurity: COAS seeks stronger military cooperation among African countries

Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has called for stronger military cooperation among African countries to address evolving security challenges through intelligence sharing, joint training and coordinated operations.

Shaibu made the call on Monday during bilateral military talks with the Commander of the Zambia Army, Lt. Gen. Geoffrey Choongo Zyeele, on the sidelines of the African International Defence Exhibition (AFRIDEX) 2026 in Lagos.

The Nigerian Army spokesperson, Col. Appolonia Anele, disclosed this in a statement made available to defence correspondents in Abuja.

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According to the statement, the COAS said the growing threats of terrorism, insurgency, transnational organised crime and unconstitutional changes of government required military cooperation from African countries.

He stressed that no country could effectively tackle the challenges in isolation, underscoring the need for sustained collaboration among African armed forces.

The COAS also reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to strengthening military relations with Zambia and other African partners, particularly in counter-terrorism operations, peace support missions, professional military training and capacity development.

In his response, Zyeele commended the Nigerian Army for its contributions to regional security and efforts to combat terrorism.

He expressed Zambia’s readiness to deepen military cooperation with Nigeria to improve operational effectiveness and advance their mutual security interests.

The statement added that the bilateral engagement formed part of Shaibu’s activities at AFRIDEX 2026, which brought together African military leaders, defence industry stakeholders and strategic partners to explore opportunities for defence collaboration, technological advancement and collective responses to emerging security threats.