By Odita Sunday
Nigeria and the United States have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening defence cooperation following a courtesy visit by former Commander of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), General William E. Ward (Rtd), to the Honourable Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd), in Abuja.
The meeting, held at the Ministry of Defence headquarters, Ship House, Abuja, underscored the longstanding strategic partnership between both countries and explored ways to enhance collaboration in tackling emerging security challenges.
Representing the Defence Minister, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Richard Pheelangwah, conveyed General Musa’s appreciation to the former AFRICOM commander for the visit.
Pheelangwah described Ward as “a distinguished military leader whose legacy as the inaugural Commander of AFRICOM continues to shape contemporary security cooperation across Africa.”
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening its defence partnership with the United States through collaboration in military training, intelligence sharing, counter-terrorism operations, maritime security, logistics and professional military education.
According to him, innovation, emerging technologies and enhanced capacity-building are essential to confronting evolving security threats in today’s increasingly complex global defence environment.
The Permanent Secretary said the engagement also provided an opportunity for both sides to exchange ideas on lessons for African militaries, strengthening strategic partnerships, the role of innovation and artificial intelligence in defence planning, cybersecurity, and preparing future military leaders for multi-domain operations.
In his remarks, General Ward commended General Musa for what he described as his exemplary leadership as both Chief of Defence Staff and now Minister of Defence.
He also stressed the need to deepen economic relations between Nigeria and the United States while addressing prevailing security challenges.
Ward further highlighted “the significance of strong family values and the growing importance of cybersecurity within contemporary defence architecture.”
The Ministry said both parties acknowledged that sustained collaboration remains critical to advancing regional and global security.
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