Musa Urges African Nations To Be Self Reliant, Influential Actors In Global Security 

The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (Rtd) has called on African nations to transition from being a theatre of external geopolitical competition to becoming self-reliant, influential actors shaping global security decisions.

The Minister made the call while delivering Nigeria’s resolve in a strategic engagement with visiting African Ministers of Defence and Chiefs of Defence Staff at the just concluded African Defence Exhibition and Conference (AFRIDEX 2026) in Lagos.

The Minister in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media Leah Katung-Babatunde reaffirmed Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to continental solidarity, collective security, and the rapid development of indigenous defence capabilities.

General Musa stated that growing global geopolitical competition and external interference makes it imperative for Africa to champion a common position rooted in national sovereignty and strategic autonomy.

The Minister partnerships must henceforth align strictly with African-defined priorities rather than perpetuate strategic dependence or undermined state sovereignty.

The Minister highlighted the centrality of the African Union Peace and Security Architecture (AU-PSA) and called for stronger African representation in global security decision-making alongside greater coherence across continental, regional, and national defence frameworks.

The Minister addressing the security climate across the Sahel, Lake Chad Basin, Horn of Africa, and parts of Central and Southern Africa stressed that cross-border threats like terrorism, violent extremism, and organised crime cannot be solved through fragmented national responses.

He therefore expressed Nigeria’s commitment to Cross-Regional Cooperation between ECOWAS member states and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), Diplomatic & Peacebuilding Engagements to address protracted conflicts in Sudan and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as well as Integrated Governance Models to address the root causes of instability and promote civilian protection on the continent.

Highlighting Africa’s long-standing reliance on external military equipment, spare parts, and technical support as a key vulnerability, General Musa advocated for a bold transition toward local defence production, technology transfer, and joint maintenance ventures.

To effectively safeguard the continent, the Minister stressed the importance of turning the African Standby Force (ASF) into a fully operational, responsive, and strategically mobile capability with sustainable financing.

Furthermore, he called for enhanced maritime domain awareness and coordinated naval exercises to protect strategic sea lines of communication in the Gulf of Guinea and the Red Sea.

The Minister proposed the creation of a structured follow-up mechanism among participating defence institutions to oversee joint training, intelligence fusion, and industrial joint ventures to ensure the discussions lead to measurable outcomes.

He said “Africa’s security future must ultimately be determined by the collective resolve, capabilities, and strategic choices of African nations. Nigeria stands ready to work shoulder-to-shoulder with all partners toward a secure, united, and self-reliant continent.”