By Augustine Ehikioya
Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Gwabin Musa, has revealed that the coming maiden African Chiefs of Defence Staff Summit (ACDSS) will provide platform for the continent to brainstorm and proffer solutions to its challenges.
Africans, he said, are in a better position to find solutions to the challenges facing the continent.
Hė spoke exclusively with the Security Watch Africa (SWA) crew in Abuja on the Summit scheduled to hold in Abuja from the 25th to 27th of August, 2025.
General Musa said, “The African Chiefs of Defence Staff Summit is planned primarily, first to unite the African Militaries. As Africans, we’ve never had an opportunity for all of us to sit down together and talk, discuss Africa, or discuss our lands.
“I think this is one great opportunity that provides that, starting from the ECOWAS Chiefs of Defence, I saw the need that the more we talk, the more we understand ourselves, and so we felt that it’s important.”
He pointed out that in the past, such forums that brought African Chiefs of Defence Staff together were organised by other international bodies and countries outside the continent.
But now, he said “Now we are the ones going to discuss our own issues, and as Africans, as brothers, to also proffer our own solutions, because our solutions, our challenges, are within us, and it’s only within us that we will be able to create the solution.
“I think that’s very critical. I think the issues have been prolonged for so long looking for solutions from outside. Now the solution is going to come from inside, and I think that’s better.” he added.
Stressing that the Summit will achieve much for the continent, General Musa said “The more we talk to each other, the more we understand, the more you understand yourselves, the more you get better solution.”
At the end of the Summit, he said, it is going to be a better Africa and a better security for the continent.
“It’s going to be a better understanding for Africans, for us to know that we are the ones to project, we are the ones to work towards a better continent. We shouldn’t wait and expect any other person to do it for us.
“Nobody can love you more than yourself. So we must work together. We must continue to work together to ensure that we defeat all acts of criminalities that are happening in Africa. Make Africa free so that it will be good for Africa. We want Africa to develop beyond where it is today.” he stated.
To further boost security in the continent, CDS Musa also gave assurance that the Summit will also take a look at the operationalisation of the Africa Standby Force (ASF).
“Definitely, the plans have been ongoing, and it’s been taking a bit of time because you have to look at a lot of issues, our strategies, our doctrines, funding. These are areas that we have challenges, but they’ve been sorted out.
“I think this meeting will give us an opportunity to really look at it holistically and be able to say, yes, this is how we should go about it, this what we need to do to have the buy in of all of us as Africans.
“Each region has its own peculiar challenge, but the overall challenge is that we have group of terrorist incidents that don’t mean anybody well, and it’s only when we come together to work that we can get it better, we can get it right, sharing our experiences on what we’re facing and the challenges and how we’re going about it. I think that’s very critical.”
He went on “These are the things that we want to project to other countries, that the society must come together, African culturally, we know over time, that’s how it is, like that’s how it used to be. We need to go back to how it used to be when we used to be our brothers’ keeper.
“And so we want to bring that brotherliness, that love together as family units, that we have a common front as Africans, common cultural, religion on this thing, that geographically we’re located together, race wise and everything. So it’s important for us to find our own solutions and to go after getting them.”
Noting that the security challenges in Nigeria are not isolated, he said, “You cannot say it’s a Nigerian problem alone. All the regions are facing it. Africa is facing it. And so if we are able to address this, I’m sure Africa will be better for it.”
Speaking on the expected dignitaries for the Summit, he said that about 90% have already indicated interest to attend.
“We’ve received almost 90% of people positive response coming. But I think the majority is everybody wants to see and everybody is excited. And I’m sure everybody in their own small ways have felt it’s important for us to come together as Africans and discuss our issues.”
Stressing that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has not only been supporting and pushing for the Summit, he said he’s going to attend the Summit.
“He’s the one pushing us into it. He’s going to be there, God willing, live to open the opening day, and then we are having other dignitaries, Professor PLO Lumumba is going to be there, Her Excellency Amina Mohammed is coming from the UN, Deputy Secretary General, she’s going to the ground.
“We’ve invited a lot of top shots, Africans to come and discuss and as lead speakers in this. And then we’re going to have our own retired Service Chiefs of Defence, everybody is going to be part of it. We want it to be holistic, both the old, the new one and the future.”
General Musa also sought the continued support of Nigerians for the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
“Firstly, let me appreciate all Nigerians for the support we are getting. I think we can see how Nigerians are having this better understanding on how the operation and the role they have to play.
“Fighting asymmetric warfare is a whole-of-society approach. Whether you are carrying gun or you are not carrying gun, you have a role to play. The kinetic and the nonkinetic must go hand in hand, being that you deny them the ability to live within your communities. Deny them the ability to get fuel. Deny them the ability to get food. Anything that keeps them going, don’t allow them to get it.
“And when you see something, please report and an action will be taken as quickly as possible.”
He also charged Nigerians to report any soldier or officer misbehaving.
“And I want to also appeal, please report on our own personnel too, on their conduct, because for us, we are there to protect and not to destroy. And anybody doing anything contrary to that, we want to take action, and we do not take it for granted for anybody, any of our personnel, who is doing anything untoward. We want them to be disciplined. We want our communities to be happy that we are deployed with them. I’ve heard one reason, or the other people shouting that they don’t want the military. I know there are people pushing them and making them to do these things.
“The military is your friend. It is your own armed forces that we are there to protect you, and we will continue to do so,” he stated.
