COAS Calls for Enhanced Military Collaboration with US

By Zainab Uzomah

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has urged closer strategic collaboration between the Nigerian Army and the United States Army to address Nigeria’s evolving security threats more effectively.

According to the statement issued by Colonel Appolonia Anele, Acting Director of Army Public Relations, the Army Chief made the call during a courtesy visit by the United States Defence Attaché to Nigeria, Lieutenant Colonel Semira Moore, at the Army Headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.

Lieutenant General Shaibu commended the US Government for what he described as a longstanding and impactful defence partnership, noting that the Nigerian Army had benefitted substantially from American military expertise and training. He highlighted that he and several senior officers were alumni of notable US military institutions, which he said demonstrated the depth of the bilateral relationship.

The COAS said the Nigerian Army was keen to draw further from US experience in both kinetic and non-kinetic operations, adding that deeper cooperation would help strengthen operational efficiency, doctrine development and institutional capacity. He stressed that international military partnerships remained vital in complementing Nigeria’s internal security efforts and supporting long-term stability.

Lieutenant Colonel Moore, in her remarks, welcomed the continued cooperation between both armies and reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to broadening areas of collaboration. She identified capacity development, intelligence sharing and joint planning as key areas where both militaries could achieve greater synergy.

She also noted that the United States was committed to supporting the Nigerian Army in non-kinetic sectors, including humanitarian interventions and troop welfare programmes, which she said were essential to sustaining morale and ensuring operational effectiveness.