COAS, Military Chiefs Convene Forum on MNJTF, Lake Chad Security

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has joined the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (rtd), and other senior military and international stakeholders at a high-level forum on security in the Lake Chad Basin.

The forum held at the National Defence College (NDC), Abuja, focused on strengthening the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) to effectively respond to emerging security and governance challenges in the Lake Chad region and the wider Sahel.

Organised by the Irregular Warfare Centre of the NDC, the forum brought together senior government officials, military commanders, regional representatives and international partners to deliberate on strategies for repositioning the MNJTF and enhancing regional security cooperation.

A major highlight was a keynote address by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, titled, “Strengthening the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Light of Evolving Governance and Security Challenges in the Sahel.”

The address stressed the need for sustained regional cooperation and collective action to tackle the increasingly transnational security threats confronting the Sahel.

The forum was attended by the Executive Governor of Taraba State, Ministers of Defence and Finance, the Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs, Chief of Defence Intelligence, former Chiefs of Defence Staff, senior military officers and other strategic stakeholders.

Representatives of the Chiefs of Defence Staff of Niger, Cameroon, Benin and Chad, as well as officials from the African Union, Lake Chad Basin Commission, troop-contributing countries and international partners, also participated in the forum.

Discussions centred on improving intelligence sharing, command and control, logistics, sustainable financing and operational coordination among countries contributing to the MNJTF.

The engagements are expected to strengthen the operational capacity of the multinational force and enhance joint efforts against terrorism and other emerging threats, while promoting lasting peace and stability across the Lake Chad Basin and the wider Sahel.