Abuja: Nigeria and the African Union (AU) have made a concerted appeal for enhanced military coordination, strategic collaboration, and the strengthening of institutional capacities to effectively address the evolving security threats across the continent and bolster peace support operations.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, emphasized the need for collective action against complex and transnational security challenges at the Induction and Orientation Training Programme for members of the Military Staff Committee (MSC) of the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) in Abuja. Represented by AVM Idi Sani, Director of Search and Rescue at Defence Headquarters, Oluyede highlighted the significance of strategic coordination among African nations to combat terrorism, violent extremism, organized crime, and other emerging threats that transcend national borders.
Oluyede underscored the pivotal role of the AU Peace and Security Council as the continent’s leading platform for promoting peace, security, and stability. He stressed that the Military Staff Committee is central to the Council’s effectiveness, offering professional military advice and strategic assessments crucial for conflict prevention, crisis response, and peace support operations.
The induction programme aims to fortify institutional knowledge, enhance strategic collaboration among member states, and boost the committee’s capacity to provide timely and professional military advice. Oluyede reaffirmed Nigeria’s dedication to the African Union’s ideals, committing to support initiatives that promote peace, security, and sustainable development across Africa.
Ms. Neema Chusi, Head of the AU Peace and Security Council Secretariat, highlighted the Military Staff Committee’s unique position as the sole AU PSC subcommittee established under the council’s protocol. She emphasized the importance of military expertise in effective conflict prevention, crisis management, and peace support operations across Africa, noting that military considerations must be adequately incorporated in the Council’s deliberations.
Chusi acknowledged the committee’s support for major AU and regional peace operations, including efforts in Somalia and the Lake Chad Basin. She urged participants to engage with openness and professionalism, stressing that their advice would influence decisions impacting millions of Africans.
Brig.-Gen. Abubakarr Conte, Chairperson of the Military Staff Committee for June 2026 and Sierra Leone’s Defence Attach© to Nigeria, highlighted the critical timing of the programme amid Africa’s evolving peace and security challenges. He pointed out the persistent issues of terrorism, violent extremism, unconstitutional changes of government, transnational organized crime, and other security threats facing the continent.
Conte emphasized the need for coordinated responses and sound military advice, noting that the induction would deepen participants’ understanding of the committee’s mandate while fostering cooperation among member states. He urged members to engage candidly throughout the programme, emphasizing their collective responsibility to promote lasting peace and stability in Africa.
The two-day induction programme gathered defense advisers from AU member states on the Peace and Security Council, AU Commission officials, United Nations representatives, senior military officers, facilitators, and resource persons to strengthen the committee’s advisory role within Africa’s peace and security architecture.