Over 1000 insurgency groups for Africa, oda highlights of di African defence chiefs meeting for Abuja

Vice president of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima say Africa no fit remain just consumer of technology, as e dey encourage Africans make dem also be creators, innovators, and owners of di tools wey go secure di tomorrow of di continent.

Shettima tok dis during di three-day summit for African Chiefs of Defence Staff wit di theme "Combating Contemporary Threats to Regional and Security in Africa; the Role of Strategic Defence Collaboration."

Na 54 African kontris dey di summit for security mata and e go hold for Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja, from 25 - 27 August 2025.

Shettima ask African leaders make dem invest in cyber defence becos di security threats di continent dey face dey "asymmetric digital and open invisible."

E tok say di private sector need to collaborate wit goment to invest in di future defense and survival of Africa nations.

Shettima call for di spirit of unity to be di cornerstone of Africa security architecture.

E tok say di future of Africa depend on di choices we make and make we build Africa wia peace na di culture.

"Di future of Africa depend on di choices we make today. Let us rise above division and embrace cooperation. Let us imagine and build Africa wia peace no dey exception but di norm," e tok.

"Wia di language of war give way to di grammar of progress and wia di dignity of our pipo go dey shielded by our collective resolve."

Di vice president tok say di continent need to reflect on di security threats on di continent and form new continental defense, shared intelligence, and coordinated strategy wey dey base on trust.

"From di deserts wia insurgency faces us to di ISIS wia pirates prowls. From di silent corridors of cyber crime to di ruthless networks of transnational criminals.

E tok say Nigeria promise to always be good neighbour and broda keeper in di struggle for peace.

"Our armed forces don stand shoulder to-shoulder wit our neighbors and far beyond peacekeeping missions, counterterrorism operations and humanitarian endeavours.

"Security na di foundation which di peace of progress must stand. Dat na why we must use dis summit to deepen covenant to deepen cooperation through joint training, harmonize doctrines and interoperable systems.

"We must build framework wia our defense institutions speak wit one voice and act wit one purpose."

Why African defence chiefs dey meet for Abuja

Di summit dey under di theme "Combating Contemporary Threats to Regional and Security in Africa; the Role of Strategic Defence Collaboration".

For 12 March dis year, Ecowas Defence chiefs bin meet for Abuja to find ways to activate di standby force to deal wit terror threats for di Sahel region.

Di threat for di subregion and di continent at large don dey concern leaders, na so dem bin dey meet to find ways to deal wit am.

Insurgency attacks don dey rise for some parts of di continent according to di 2024 global terrorism index.

Di report tok say di Sahel don become di epicentre for terrorist activities wey dey account for 51% of all deaths from terrorism for di year 2024.

Months afta dat conference, all defence chiefs for Africa dey expected to meet for dis summit.

Nigeria Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa tok say dis summit dey veri necessary sake of say insurgents no dey respect territories, dem just dey carry out dia activities for kontris.

"We gatz work as a team, as neighbours to deal wit dis threats. Dis summit go develop strategy wey go fit help us; na win-win for all of us," di defence chief tok for 13 August press conference.

Im add say, "E dey important to come togeda to understand each oda, sake of we get regional blocs, wey each bloc get security activities within dia region, so we go fit sabi dia challenges and wetin dey work for dem, so we go fit share dis ideas."

We get ova 1,000 insurgency groups for Africa - Ibrahim Gambari

Also, Ibrahim Gambari, former chief of staff of Nigeria, wey dey present at di summit say more dan 1,000 insurgency groups dey operate within di African continent .

Oga Gambari ask African nations make dem secure dia own nations bifor dem go begin secure di region and continent at large.

E tok say African nations go need to strengthen dia defence industries and own dia technologies to address external threats.

"We now get ova 1,000 insurgency groups for Africa and di number still dey rise and fi majority of our regional economic commission na to deal wit banditry and terrorism and oda form of insurgency," e tok.

"So regional economic communities suppose be about economic integration so we go fit focus on dealing wit issues of wit banditry terrorism and insurgency.

"We must upgrade and strengthen our defense industries and own our technologies so we go fit avoid control from external forces.

Oga Gambari tok say Africa leaders need to adopt di late Ghanian president vision, Kwame Nkrumah to form strategic defense cooperation in di highest form across di continent

E tok say dis don make am possible for Nigeria to secure West Africa kontris wit di establishment of Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (Ecomog), and dem don impact di region.

E tok say depsite effort by di Africa Union to stop di violence on di continent for 2015, violence still dey across kontris on di continent

"Di African peace and security architecture na supportive standby force wey di African Union create and e suppose don dey operational since 2015. Di African Union agenda 2063, emphasise on silencing di guns by di year 2020, e don pass and now e don shift to 2030."

"Still di guns dey very hot for Sudan, South Sudan, Sahel, di Democratic Republic of di Congo and Southern Africa kontinu to witness violent conflict."