The Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, led Nigeria’s delegation to the 2026 African Chiefs of Defence Conference (ACHOD), held in Luanda, Angola from June 30 to July 2, 2026.
A statement signed by Major General Samaila Uba, Director Defence information said the Conference was hosted by the United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM) in conjunction with the Angolan Armed Forces.
It said that over the three-day event senior military leaders from across Africa and international partners convened to deliberate on key global security issues including role of innovation and economic development in promoting continental stability.
ACHOD serves as the premier forum for senior military officials to address shared security threats, enhance regional stability and discuss collaborative frameworks that enable long-term investments and economic growth across the continent. This year’s discussions focused on countering transnational threats, countering disinformation and promoting the responsible use of innovative technologies such as drones in modern operations.
Delivering Nigeria’s intervention, General Oluyede emphasized the need for Africa to “build a resilient and adaptive security architecture capable of responding to current and emerging threats to secure Africa’s future.”
The Chief of Defence Staff further identified the need to strengthen regional intelligence, revitalise security systems, enhance integrated border management and invest in valued defence collaborations while actively targeting terrorism financing and international support as answer to security issues afflicting Africa.
General Oluyede praised the model set by the bilateral defence partnership between Nigeria and the United States in the fight against terrorism saying it has significantly enhanced the operational effectiveness of the Armed Forces of Nigeria which will in turn significantly impact positively on regional security efforts.
General Oluyede held bilateral engagements with fellow Chiefs of Defence and key partners to strengthen cooperation against threats that “do not respect borders”.
The leadership of the AFN reiterates Nigeria’s commitment to regional partnerships, intelligence sharing and joint operations as critical pillars for defeating violent extremism, drug trafficking and other transnational crimes. Nigeria will continue to leverage platforms like ACHOD to enhance international collaboration, interoperability as well as promote peace and security in West Africa and across the continent.
