President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will today declare open the maiden Africa Chiefs of Defence Summit at the Bola Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja.
The summit is expected to discuss key homegrown defence solutions to security threats confronting the continent.
Security was tightened at the venue and its surroundings since yesterday, in anticipation of the President’s arrival, and all vehicular movements are to be rerouted to alternative routes today.
At least 90 per cent of Defence Chiefs from across the 54 African countries have arrived in Abuja as of yesterday for the summit, which kicked off at around 9 a.m. today.
The President is expected to remind the Defence Chiefs of the various security threats confronting the continent, including terrorism and violent extremism, arms proliferation, herder-farmer clash, piracy and oil theft, among others, and highlight the significance of increased synergy and homegrown solutions in addressing the continent’s security challenges, for lasting peace and economic development.
The African continent has been plagued by security threats, from the North to the Sahel and from Central Africa to the South, with regional bodies struggling to solve the challenges without success. The transnational nature of these threats has become a major concern, calling for a concerted effort to overcome them.
The spokesman of Defence Headquarters (DHQ), Brig.-Gen. Tukur Gusau, during a brief chat with journalists on Friday, had described the summit as “a big event” that will attract most senior military officers across the continent.
“This is the first of its kind that will be hosted by an African country,” Gusau said.
“Before now these kinds of events were organised by international organisations like the United Nations, where African Defence Chiefs were invited to attend. But the CDS believes that African security problems are best tackled by Africans, so he got the approval of the Commander-in-Chief, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to host the summit.
“Already 90 per cent of the Defence Chiefs invited have expressed their readiness to attend. Some of them will arrive in Abuja by Sunday. It is a three-day event that starts on August 25 to 27.”
Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, had said, during a press conference, on August 13, that the theme of the summit, “Combating Contemporary Threats to Peace and Security in Africa,” was carefully chosen for the African Defence Chiefs to brainstorm to find solutions to the continent’s security challenges.
He said, “We have invited all 54 African countries, and I am pleased to announce that we have recorded over 90 per cent attendance. This reflects our shared recognition of the need to unite against common threats.
“Our goal is to strengthen rapid crisis response capabilities, establish joint training exercises, enhance intelligence sharing, and develop a unified continental strategy to address our security challenges.”
Musa emphasised the need for African countries to work together against asymmetric threats, which he said “do not respect borders,” and called for stronger collaboration through the African Standby Force.
“Despite our different doctrines, we can work together as Africans, neighbours, brothers and sisters to achieve common security goals,” he said
According to him, the summit is an opportunity to forge lasting partnerships, pool resources, and ensure that Africa is prepared to respond effectively to any crisis.
