The Defence Headquarters is set to host 53 Chiefs of Defence Staff (CDS) from 53 African countries, including Burkina, Mali and Niger Republic, for the Maiden African Chiefs of Defence Staff Summit in Abuja.

The summit which will encourage Africa-led solutions to the continent’s security challenges will be held from Aug. 25 to 27, in Abuja.

The chairman of the summit planning committee, AVM Precious Amadi, made this known at a news conference on Wednesday in Abuja.

Ms Amadi said that all the countries invited, including Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali, had indicated interest to attend the summit.

He clarified that the strained political relationship between the trio and members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), did not affect the cooperation between the countries’ militaries.

“We don’t get involved in political issues, but I can tell you with all confidence that under the International Joint Task Force, Niger Republic is still participating, even though we have a strained political relationship with them.

“So, Mali, Niger Republic, Burkina Faso, one of the issues with them, militarily, is that, threat to one is threat to all.

“So on the military side, we are working together. We have written to them, informing them about the summit, and the responses we have gotten from most of the countries is that they have indicated their interests to attend in person, not just sending their representatives,” he said.

Ms Amadi said the premier platform was an avenue for the CDS across the African continent to engage in dialogue on shared defence and security mechanisms to enhance defence capabilities amongst African nations.

According to him, truly, in the light of current realities, it has become imperative to seek African solutions to African problems.

“It is in recognition of this, President Bola Tinubu, granted approval for the Defence Headquarters to host the maiden African Chiefs of Defence Staff Summit,” he added.

The committee chair said the summit, with the theme: “Combating Contemporary Threats to Regional Peace and Security in Africa: The Role of Strategic Defence Collaborations,” would cover four thematic areas.

These areas, according to him, are: Initiating discussions on collective strategies for African security issues; Facilitating collaborative response to peace and security issues in Africa; developing mechanisms for integrating the private sector into Africa’s defence efforts; and establishing a roundtable for the initiation of homegrown solutions to Africa’s defence needs.

“The event is also expected to showcase Africa’s defence capabilities through defence exhibition which will hold concurrently with the summit.

“Some foreign partners as well as senior retired and serving military officers, including heads of African Union and ECOWAS Commissions, government officers and heads of various security agencies will attend the event,” Ms Amadi said.

Dotun Ajayi, executive director, African Business Roundtable, who is a consultant to the summit, said that involvement of private sector in addressing insecurity was ripe, adding that security matters had gone beyond the military component alone.

He said that proffering solutions to the security challenges was a shared responsibility, which, he said, required bringing the private sector into the mainstream of defence efforts.

“So, we need a public-private sector partnership. In this regard, we are looking at a broad range of spectrum of activities to support the military solution that we are looking at,” he said. 

(NAN)