Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has called on African nations to develop home-grown solutions to tackle the continent’s mounting security challenges, including terrorism, cybercrime, piracy, and transnational crime.
Speaking at the 2025 African Chiefs of Defence Staff Summit in Abuja on Monday, Shettima stressed that Africa could no longer remain a consumer of imported technology but must invest in artificial intelligence (AI), cyber-defence, and indigenous military innovations.
“The nature of warfare has evolved. Today’s threats are asymmetric, digital, and often invisible. Our response must be dynamic. Africa cannot remain merely a consumer of technology—we must be creators, innovators, and owners of the tools that secure our tomorrow,” Shettima declared.
He urged military chiefs to forge a new doctrine of continental defence rooted in trust, intelligence sharing, and coordinated strategies, emphasizing that security is the bedrock of Africa’s progress.
“From deserts plagued by insurgency to high seas threatened by piracy, and from cybercrime corridors to transnational criminal networks—none of these tragedies respects borders, and neither should our response,” he said.
The Vice President also called on the private sector to partner with governments in defence investments, describing it as a strategic survival necessity for Africa. He further urged participants to deepen cooperation through joint training, harmonised doctrines, interoperable systems, and African-led research partnerships.
“We are bound as a family, sharing not just borders but destiny. Defence must be the first expression of love each member promises the other,” Shettima concluded.
