Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defence, His Excellency Bello Matawalle, has expressed deep concern over the escalating security threats in Africa.
The minister said this at the opening of the Africa Chiefs of Defence Staff Conference in Abuja on Monday, emphasizing the urgent need for strong continental cooperation to tackle these complex challenges.
Matawalle, who represented the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Abubakar, said the continent faced what he described as serious and evolving security threats.
According to him, “These challenges are complex, transnational, and increasingly asymmetric. Tackling them requires not just resilience but also strong continental cooperation.
“Today we take an important step forward, we affirm that Africa’s security must be driven by Africa’s solutions, leadership, and unity. ”
He also said hat the nation’s armed forces had been involved in peacekeeping, counterterrorism, and humanitarian missions in Africa and beyond.
Matawalle further reiterated the military’s commitment to strengthening the defence partnership to support peace, development, and democratic values.
The minister urged African nations to invest in modern technology like artificial intelligence (AI) to defeat monstrous terrorist groups, including Boko Haram, ISWAP, Al-Qaeda, and Al-Shabaab, wreaking havoc in parts of the continent.
He said that a digital solution was needed to defeat some of the enemies threatening the territorial integrity of nations in Africa.
For him: “This summit reflects our beliefs that no single country can scale the continent alone. We must work together to share intelligence and build trust among defence institutions.
“The future of welfare is digital. As defence ministers, we must invest in cyberdefence, artificial intelligence, and indigenous military technologies.
“Africa must not just keep up with global trends, but we must take the lead in shaping them. Let this summit serve as a platform for strategic planning,” Matawalle told the participants.
