The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has restated the Nigerian Army’s dedication to strengthening international partnerships and cooperative frameworks with global institutions, including King’s College London (KCL), as part of efforts to bolster national security.
He made this known on Wednesday, 29 April 2026, while hosting a delegation led by Professor Randolph Charles Kent at the Army Headquarters in Abuja.
Lt Gen Shaibu described the six-year collaboration as a key driver in advancing intellectual capacity, leadership growth, and operational efficiency within the Nigerian Army.
He explained that the partnership, facilitated through the Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC), provides access to top-tier military education and aligns with the Army’s vision of building a more professional, agile, and mission-ready force capable of operating effectively within joint and multi-agency security frameworks.
The Army Chief stressed that modern security threats demand proactive strategies rooted in cooperation, innovation, and knowledge exchange. He highlighted NARC’s role as a vital think tank that generates policy-driven insights and promotes inter-agency collaboration to tackle Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.
Speaking on emerging threats, Lt Gen Shaibu pointed to the increasing impact of the digital information space on national security and internal stability. He called for stronger academic and institutional partnerships to explore issues such as information warfare, hostile influence operations, and the risks linked to limited control of global information channels, emphasizing the importance of research-based and forward-looking solutions.
In his remarks, Professor Kent praised the Nigerian Army for sustaining the partnership, noting that the Yale-NARC African Leadership Centre programme thrives on shared knowledge and collaborative expertise.
He added that such alliances are crucial in addressing global uncertainties, driving innovation, and enhancing collective capacity to manage complex security threats effectively.
