The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to strengthening strategic partnerships and collaborative frameworks with global institutions, including King’s College London (KCL), as part of ongoing efforts to enhance national security.
A statement signed by Colonel Appolonia Anele Acting Director Army Public Relations said he made this known on Wednesday, 29 April 2026, while receiving a delegation led by Professor Randolph Charles Kent at Army Headquarters, Abuja.
It said Lt Gen Shaibu described the six-year partnership as a strategic enabler in building intellectual capacity, leadership development and operational effectiveness within the Nigerian Army. He noted that the collaboration, facilitated through the Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC), expands access to world-class military education and supports the Army’s drive towards a more professional, adaptive, combat-ready and resilient force capable of operating effectively within a joint and multi-agency security architecture.
The COAS emphasized that contemporary security challenges require forward-looking strategies anchored in collaboration, innovation and knowledge-sharing. He highlighted the role of NARC as a critical think tank in generating policy-relevant ideas and fostering inter-agency synergy to address Nigeria’s evolving threat landscape, particularly in areas requiring coordinated national and international responses.
Addressing emerging threats, Lt Gen Shaibu underscored the growing influence of the digital information ecosystem on national security and internal stability. He called for deeper academic and institutional collaboration to examine the implications of information warfare, malign influence operations and the vulnerabilities associated with limited control over the global information space, stressing the need for proactive and research-driven solutions.
In his remarks, Professor Kent commended the Nigerian Army for its commitment to sustained partnership, noting that the Yale-NARC African Leadership Centre thrives on mutual knowledge exchange and shared expertise. He added that such collaborations are vital in navigating global uncertainties, fostering innovation, and strengthening collective capacity to respond effectively to complex security challenges.
