The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, on Tuesday reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to deepening strategic military cooperation with the South African Army, saying closer collaboration among African militaries is essential to confronting emerging and complex security threats across the continent.
Gen. Shaibu made the declaration while receiving the Chief of the South African Army, Lieutenant General Lawrence Khulekani Mbatha, at Army Headquarters in Abuja during an official working visit. The meeting focused on expanding joint training, sharing operational knowledge and strengthening professional military education to enhance regional security architecture.
Strengthening training against evolving threats
Highlighting the significance of shared training in contemporary conflict environments, Gen. Shaibu said the Nigerian Army has been beefing up specialised training to counter modern threats — including the widespread use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), the increasing deployment of air assets by non-state actors, and other asymmetric tactics being seen in the North-East under Operation HADIN KAI.
He stressed that collaboration with the South African Army would augment Nigeria’s counter-IED, survivability and battlefield-readiness programmes and accelerate the dissemination of operational best practice across participating forces. “Closer cooperation will strengthen training programmes and help build a more capable regional security architecture,” the Army chief said.
Exchanges in professional military education
The two commanders reviewed ongoing officer exchanges and academic links between their militaries. Nigerian officers currently attend courses at the South African Defence College, while South African officers serve as directing staff and instructors at key Nigerian institutions including the Army War College and the Armed Forces Command and Staff College. Gen. Shaibu described these exchanges as vital to institutional strengthening, leadership development and the transfer of doctrinal and operational experience.
For his part, Lt.-Gen. Mbatha said the visit offered an opportunity for South African officers to study Nigeria’s operational responses to terrorism and other asymmetric threats. He acknowledged the depth of battlefield experience within the Nigerian Army and expressed particular interest in Nigeria’s approaches to countering the use of IEDs in insurgent warfare.
Aviation, maintenance and technical cooperation
Both commanders explored expanding technical cooperation in specialised areas, notably aviation. The South African Army chief highlighted South Africa’s technical expertise in aviation maintenance and pilot training, noting that enhanced collaboration in this domain could support Nigeria’s efforts to develop and sustain its air capabilities — a critical factor in rapid response and counter-insurgency operations.
Mutual benefits and regional implications
The communiqué issued at the end of the engagement underscored a shared commitment to sustain joint training, operational exchanges and technical cooperation. The two armies said stronger military collaboration between Nigeria and South Africa will not only boost the operational effectiveness of their respective forces but will also contribute to regional stability, collective defence and improved responses to cross-border threats.
Observers say such deepened cooperation between two of Africa’s largest militaries could set a precedent for expanded continental defence partnerships — combining Nigeria’s operational experience in counter-insurgency with South Africa’s technical and institutional strengths.
Next steps and implementation
The visit concluded with an agreement to formalise schedules for continued officer exchanges, joint training exercises, and targeted capacity-building initiatives in areas such as counter-IED operations, aviation maintenance and staff college instruction. Both sides signalled an intention to convert the strategic commitments into concrete programmes and training events in the months ahead.
