Defence Minister Urges African Leaders to Become Influential Actors in Shaping Global Security Decisions.
According to a statement by the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Defence, Leah Katung-Babatunde, General Musa also called for a decisive shift in Africa’s approach to global security.
Delivering Nigeria’s resolve in a strategic engagement with visiting African Ministers of Defence and Chiefs of Defence Staff at the just-concluded African Defence Exhibition and Conference (AFRIDEX 2026) in Lagos, the minister reaffirmed Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to continental solidarity, collective security, and the rapid development of indigenous defence capabilities.
Emphasising the need for a unified continental posture, General Musa stated that growing global geopolitical competition and external interference make it imperative for Africa to champion a common position rooted in national sovereignty and strategic autonomy.
Defence partnerships, the minister noted, must henceforth align strictly with African-defined priorities rather than perpetuate strategic dependence or undermine state sovereignty. The minister highlighted the centrality of the African Union Peace and Security Architecture (AU-PSA) and called for stronger African representation in global security decision-making, alongside greater coherence across continental, regional, and national defence frameworks. Addressing the security climate across the Sahel, Lake Chad Basin, Horn of Africa, and parts of Central and Southern Africa, the minister stressed that cross-border threats like terrorism, violent extremism, and organised crime cannot be solved through fragmented national responses. He therefore expressed Nigeria’s commitment to cross-regional cooperation between ECOWAS member states and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), diplomatic and peacebuilding engagements to address protracted conflicts in Sudan and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and integrated governance models to address the root causes of instability and promote civilian protection on the continent.
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