United Nations Permanent Representative, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari
Former Nigerian Minister of External Affairs and United Nations Permanent Representative,
Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, has revealed that over 1,000 terrorist groups are currently active across Africa, posing a significant threat to the continent’s stability.
Speaking at the African Chiefs of Defence Staff Summit 2025 in Abuja on Monday, August 25, 2025, Gambari called for urgent, collaborative action to address these security challenges.
Delivering a goodwill message at the summit, themed “ _Combating Contemporary Threats to Regional Peace and Security in Africa: The Role of Strategic Defence Collaboration,”_ Gambari emphasized the need for African nations to prioritize national security as a foundation for regional and continental stability.
“We must first secure our individual countries to effectively protect our regions and the continent as a whole,” he stated. He urged African nations to bolster their defense industries and develop homegrown technologies to counter threats.
“A robust, African-led security architecture is critical to ensuring human security,” Gambari added.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that 36 of Africa’s 54 countries were represented at the summit, with notable absences from Mali and Burkina Faso, likely due to strained relations with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Niger Republic, however, sent a representative despite political tensions.
ECOWAS President Omar Touray, represented by Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, highlighted the severity of the crisis, noting that the Sahel region accounted for 51 percent of conflict-related deaths in 2024.
“The scale of violence demands greater international support. We urge the United Nations to fund at least 75 percent of African-led counter-terrorism operations,” Musah appealed.
Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, echoed the call for collaboration, stressing that Africa’s security challenges transcend borders. “The threats we face know no boundaries, and neither should our response. The Nigerian Armed Forces are committed to working with our counterparts across Africa to combat terrorism and other threats,” Musa declared.
He emphasized the importance of an African-led security framework, stating, “The enemy is within, and we must be the architects of our own defense and security.”
The summit, attended by defense leaders and strategic partners, aims to foster coordinated responses to insurgency, terrorism, and other transnational threats, reinforcing Nigeria’s leadership in promoting continental security.
NAN
