The Honourable Minister of Defence General Christopher Gwabin Musa, OFR (Rtd) received General William E. Ward (Rtd), former Commander of the United States Africa Command, AFRICOM on a courtesy visit in his Office at Ship House, Abuja.
The Minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Mr. Richard Pheelangwah conveyed the Minister’s warm regards and appreciation for General Ward’s visit, a statement by the Defence Ministry Spokesperson, Captain Moses Yare, noted.
Delivering the Minister’s remarks, the Permanent Secretary described General Ward as a distinguished military leader whose legacy as the inaugural Commander of AFRICOM continues to shape contemporary security cooperation across Africa.
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening its strategic defence partnership with the United States, highlighting ongoing collaboration in key areas including military training, intelligence sharing, counter-terrorism operations, maritime security, logistics, and professional military education.
He further underscored the critical importance of innovation, emerging technologies, and enhanced capacity-building in addressing evolving security threats within an increasingly complex global defence environment.
The meeting underscored the longstanding and mutually beneficial defence relationship between Nigeria and the United States. Both sides acknowledged the importance of sustained collaboration in advancing regional and global security.
The engagement also provided a platform for robust exchange on lessons for African militaries, strengthening of strategic partnerships, the role of innovation and artificial intelligence in defence planning, cybersecurity, and the preparation of future military leaders for multi-domain operations.
In his remarks, General William E. Ward commended General Musa for his exemplary leadership, both as Chief of Defence Staff and now as Minister of Defence.
He emphasised the importance of deepening economic ties between Nigeria and the United States, while also highlighting the need to address prevailing security challenges. General Ward further stressed the significance of strong family values and the growing importance of cybersecurity within contemporary defence architecture.
