The Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu says Nigeria’s current security environment requires deeper, more strategic military cooperation to respond to threats.
General Shaibu made the assertion while receiving the United States Defence Attaché to Nigeria at the Army Headquarters in Abuja.
He stressed that contemporary security challenges now demand partnerships that go beyond routine engagements.
The Army Chief said the collaboration should include doctrine, capability development and institutional strengthening.
According to a statement by the Acting Director Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele, General Shaibu, said the Nigerian Army must also continue to leverage international military partnerships to complement Nigeria’s internal security architecture and reinforce long term stability.
The COAS said the United States has remained a critical partner whose military professionalism and institutional depth have directly shaped the Nigerian Army’s leadership cadre and operational outlook.
“The Nigerian Army has benefitted immensely from American military professionalism and institutional expertise,” he said.
He noted that several senior officers, including himself and principal staff officers at Army Headquarters, are products of United States professional military institutions, describing this as evidence of a relationship that has moved beyond symbolism into tangible capacity building.
Kinetic and non kinetic domain
The Army Chief said the Nigerian Army is particularly interested in expanding cooperation with the United States Army across both kinetic and non kinetic domains, including operational effectiveness, doctrine development and strategic capability enhancement.
“We remain keen on leveraging the United States Army’s extensive experience in both kinetic and non kinetic operations to strengthen our institutional capacity and operational reach,” he stated.
He said as Nigeria’s security challenges continue to evolve in scale and sophistication, international military cooperation remains indispensable to achieving sustainable peace.
The United States Defence Attaché to Nigeria, Lieutenant Colonel Semira Moore, reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to strengthening its long standing military relationship with Nigeria.
She said the United States would continue to explore new areas of collaboration with the Nigerian Army, particularly in capacity building, intelligence sharing and joint operational planning.
“Our partnership with the Nigerian Army remains cordial, mutually beneficial and forward looking,” she said.
Lieutenant Colonel Moore also disclosed that the United States remains committed to supporting the Nigerian Army in critical non kinetic areas, including humanitarian assistance and troop welfare initiatives, which she described as essential to sustaining morale and operational effectiveness in ongoing operations.
The engagement underscored a shared recognition by both militaries that modern security threats require sustained cooperation, institutional learning and coordinated responses beyond national boundaries.
