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The African Bar Association (AfBA) has called for stronger collaboration between the legal profession and the Nigerian Armed Forces in addressing Africa’s security and development challenges.

The call was made when a delegation of the AfBA paid a courtesy visit to the Federal Ministry of Defence, Abuja, ahead of the association’s 2026 Annual Conference scheduled to hold in Cabo Verde.

The delegation was led by the President of AfBA, High Chief Ibrahim Eddy Mark. Other members included Prof. Agbo Madaki, Dr. Friday Agbo, Major General Shalangwa (Rtd.), Afam Okeke, Esq., Mimi Ayua, Lilian Okenwa and Teyojesam Eko.

The Honourable Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd.), OFR, was unavoidably absent due to other official engagements and was represented by the Director of Projects, Dr. J.C. Alozie, alongside other officials of the Ministry.

Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Mark said the visit was linked to the theme of AfBA’s 2026 Annual Conference, “Resilient Africa’s Roadmap for Sustainable Development: Addressing and Strengthening Issues of Military, Security and Economic Stability.”

Mark said Nigeria’s experience in confronting terrorism, insurgency, banditry and kidnapping could provide valuable lessons for other African countries facing similar threats.

Among the key objectives of the visit were:

• To recognise the sacrifices of Nigerian Armed Forces personnel who have served and, in some cases, paid the ultimate price in the fight against insurgency, terrorism, banditry and kidnapping.
• To encourage the Armed Forces to “tell its own story” by communicating to Nigerians, the African legal community and the international community the strategies being deployed against security threats, the successes recorded and the sacrifices of military personnel.
• To emphasise the connection between security and economic development, particularly the role of peace and stability in promoting investment, agriculture, business growth and the protection of critical infrastructure.
• To formally invite the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces to participate in the 2026 AfBA Annual Conference, with a proposed presentation titled, “Securing Nigeria: The Role of the Nigerian Armed Forces in Combating Insurgency, Terrorism, Kidnapping and Other Security Threats, and the Impact on National Development.”
• To position Nigeria’s security experience within the wider African conversation, particularly in view of the country’s participation in regional security initiatives such as the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad Basin.
• To strengthen collaboration between the legal profession, the military and other stakeholders, based on the principle that security and the rule of law should complement rather than compete with each other.

Responding on behalf of the Defence Minister, Alozie thanked the delegation for the visit and conveyed General Musa’s interest in the initiative, while regretting his inability to attend personally because of other official commitments.

Alozie said Nigeria had recorded positive changes in its security situation since the Minister assumed office, attributing this in part to the experience he brought to the position, having previously served as Chief of Defence Staff.

He welcomed AfBA’s interest in partnering with the Ministry and the Armed Forces to project Nigeria’s security efforts, describing the initiative as one the Ministry was interested in exploring.

According to him, the proposed collaboration could provide an opportunity to showcase Nigeria’s positive developments and communicate the progress being made in the fight against terrorism and insurgency.

He said there was a need to communicate the positive developments taking place in the country, noting that “a lot of good is happening here.”

Alozie said a follow-up engagement would be necessary to determine the scope of the proposed collaboration, including possible participation by the Ministry and the Armed Forces at the AfBA conference.

He also stressed the importance of collective efforts to address security and social challenges across the African continent.

The AfBA Annual Conference is scheduled for September 20–24, 2026, at the Hilton Cabo Verde Sal Resort in Cape Verde. The conference is themed “Resilient Africa’s Roadmap for Sustainable Development: Addressing and Strengthening Issues of Military, Security and Economic Stability.”

The conference is expected to bring together lawyers, policymakers and other stakeholders from across Africa and beyond, with Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, former UN Under-Secretary-General and former Nigerian Ambassador to the United Nations, as keynote speaker.

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