Odita Sunday 
Nigeria, South Africa Deepen Military Training Alliance Against Terror Threats
By Odita Sunday
The Nigerian Army and the South African Army have strengthened their strategic training partnership as part of efforts to tackle emerging security threats across Africa, particularly terrorism and insurgency.
The Chief of Army Staff, Waidi Shaibu, reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to deeper military cooperation when he received his South African counterpart, Lawrence Khulekani Mbatha, during an official working visit to Army Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday.
Shaibu said closer collaboration among African militaries was critical in confronting evolving and complex security challenges facing the continent.
“Stronger cooperation among African armed forces is vital if we must effectively respond to the changing nature of security threats on the continent. Shared training and operational knowledge remain key to defeating terrorism and insurgency, particularly in our ongoing operations in the North-East,” he said.
The Army Chief highlighted Nigeria’s operational efforts under Operation HADIN KAI, noting that the Nigerian Army has continued to refine its training programmes to prepare troops for modern battlefield threats.
According to him, the military has intensified specialised training in Improvised Explosive Device (IED) detection, counter-IED operations and battlefield survivability to counter terrorist tactics.
“Our focus is to equip troops with the right skills to defeat modern threats, particularly the use of IEDs and other asymmetric tactics by terrorist groups,” Shaibu said.
He added that military exchanges between both countries have expanded, with Nigerian officers attending courses at the South African Defence College, while South African officers serve as instructors at key Nigerian institutions including the Army War College Nigeria and the Armed Forces Command and Staff College.
Speaking during the visit, Mbatha said the South African Army was keen to study Nigeria’s operational experience in counter-terrorism operations.
“Nigeria has acquired extensive battlefield experience in tackling insurgency and asymmetric warfare. We are here to learn from that experience, especially Nigeria’s training and operational approach to countering the use of IEDs by insurgents,” he said.
The South African Army Chief also expressed interest in expanding technical cooperation in aviation, noting that South Africa possesses significant expertise in aviation maintenance and pilot training.
Both military leaders agreed to sustain joint training, professional exchanges and technical cooperation, describing the partnership as crucial to strengthening Africa’s collective security architecture.
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