By Nkechi Eze
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to strengthening strategic international partnerships and collaborative frameworks with global institutions, including King’s College London, as part of efforts to enhance national security and operational effectiveness.
According to an official signed statement by the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele, the COAS made this known on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, while receiving a delegation led by Professor Randolph Charles Kent at the Army Headquarters in Abuja.
Lieutenant General Shaibu described the six-year partnership as a strategic enabler for building intellectual capacity, enhancing leadership development, and improving operational effectiveness within the Nigerian Army. He noted that the collaboration, facilitated through the Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC), aligns with the Service’s drive toward a more professional, adaptive, and combat-ready force operating within a joint and multi-agency security environment.
He emphasized that modern security challenges demand innovative, forward-looking, and collaborative approaches anchored on knowledge-sharing and institutional partnerships.
According to him, the Nigerian Army Resource Centre continues to serve as a critical think tank for generating policy-relevant ideas and strengthening inter-agency cooperation in addressing Nigeria’s evolving security threats, particularly those requiring coordinated national and international responses.
The COAS also drew attention to emerging threats within the digital information space, noting their increasing influence on national security and internal stability. He called for deeper academic and institutional engagement to better understand information warfare, malign influence operations, and vulnerabilities associated with the global information ecosystem.
He stressed the need for proactive, research-driven strategies capable of addressing these challenges and enhancing national resilience.
In his remarks, Professor Randolph Charles Kent commended the Nigerian Army for sustaining its commitment to international collaboration, noting that the Yale–NARC African Leadership Centre programme is driven by mutual knowledge exchange and shared expertise.
He observed that such partnerships are essential in navigating global uncertainties, fostering innovation, and strengthening collective capacity to respond effectively to complex and evolving security challenges.
