Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has called for enhanced military cooperation among African nations to address evolving continental security threats through joint training, coordinated operations, and intelligence sharing.
Lieutenant General Shaibu made the call during high-level bilateral military talks with the Commander of the Zambian Army, Lieutenant General Geoffrey Choongo Zyeele, on the sidelines of the Africa International Defence Exhibition (AFRIDEX 2026) in Lagos.
The Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele, confirmed in an official statement issued on Tuesday, 27 October 2026, that the bilateral meeting focused on strengthening regional defense frameworks against shared threats.
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Addressing the Zambian delegation, Lieutenant General Shaibu observed that the rising threats of terrorism, insurgency, transnational organized crime, and unconstitutional changes of government require a united response, stressing that no African nation can tackle these challenges in isolation.
He reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to deepening military-to-military relations with Zambia and other regional partners, particularly across counterterrorism operations, professional military education, peace support missions, and operational capacity building.
In his response, Lieutenant General Zyeele commended the Nigerian Army for its leadership role in regional security and sustained efforts in combating terrorism across operational theaters.
The Zambian Army Chief expressed his country’s readiness to expand bilateral military cooperation with Nigeria to boost operational effectiveness and advance mutual security objectives across the continent.
Colonel Anele noted that the diplomatic engagement formed part of Lieutenant General Shaibu’s strategic side events at AFRIDEX 2026, which convened African defense chiefs, policymakers, and industry stakeholders to explore technological innovation and collective security responses.
