Former Chief of Army Staff and ex-Minister of Interior, Lt. General Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau (Rtd)
Former Chief of Army Staff and ex-Minister of Interior, Lt. General Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau (Rtd), will on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, deliver the keynote address at the 7th Annual Lecture of the Just Friends Club of Nigeria (JFCN), in Abuja.
The high-profile event, themed “Nigeria’s Security Challenges and the Quest for National Cohesion: A New Paradigm for Internal Security Architecture and Governance,” will take place at Bolingo Hotel, beginning at 10 a.m.
According to a statement signed on Sunday by the Chair, Organising Committee, Mrs. Maria Cardillo, the lecture comes at a time of renewed public concern over insecurity and the urgent need for innovative solutions to terrorism, banditry, and communal conflicts across the country.
The Chairman of the occasion will be Prof. Tonnie Osa Iredia, former Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and National Orientation Agency (NOA), and founder of the Tonnie Iredia University of Communication, Benin City.
In a preview of the event, JFCN President, Mr. Fred Ohwahwa, said the lecture will serve as a strategic platform for reflection and policy dialogue on how Nigeria can rethink its internal security framework to address contemporary threats.
“We are delighted and honoured to host Lt. General Abdulrahman Dambazau (Rtd) at this critical time in our national journey,” Ohwahwa said. “His wealth of experience and thought leadership in security matters come at a time when the nation is yearning for fresh, pragmatic ideas to address complex internal security threats.”
He expressed optimism that Dambazau’s lecture will challenge conventional thinking and propose “a bold, coherent vision for Nigeria’s security and unity.”
Dambazau, who served as Chief of Army Staff from 2008 to 2010 and later as Minister of Interior from 2015 to 2019, is widely respected as one of Nigeria’s foremost security strategists. A scholar-soldier, he holds a Ph.D. in Criminology from the University of Keele, United Kingdom, and has authored several works on security sector reform, counterterrorism, and civil-military relations.
The lecture will examine Nigeria’s internal security architecture, assess its institutional weaknesses, and propose reforms that balance law enforcement, intelligence gathering, and community-based security models. It will also highlight the role of national cohesion and inclusive governance in ensuring lasting peace and stability.
A panel discussion will follow the keynote, featuring prominent experts such as Air Vice Marshal Gbolahan Adekunle (Rtd.), former Chief of Training and Operations of the Nigerian Air Force, and Prof. Okey Ikechukwu, Professor of Strategic Management at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
The event is expected to attract a diverse audience of top government officials, lawmakers, former security chiefs, traditional rulers, youth leaders, academics, civil society advocates, and members of the diplomatic community.
The Just Friends Club of Nigeria, a non-partisan association of professionals and technocrats, has over the years become a respected platform for civic engagement and public policy debate. Its annual lecture series is regarded as one of Nigeria’s leading fora for national dialogue on governance, security, and development.
