Lawrence Mbatha, Chief of the South African Army, has called for stronger military cooperation between Nigeria and South Africa to promote peace, stability and enhance continental security.
Mbatha made the call in Abuja during a gala night organised in his honour as part of his official working visit to Nigeria.
He said both countries, as leading powers on the continent, had a responsibility to deepen military collaboration in addressing emerging security challenges facing Africa.
According to him, Africa’s place in the global order requires its leading nations to strengthen strategic partnerships and work together to tackle threats such as terrorism, insurgency and other asymmetric security challenges.
“With the size and influence of Nigeria, you cannot talk about Africa without mentioning Nigeria,” he said.
Mbatha said his visit was aimed at deepening defence diplomacy and strengthening army-to-army cooperation between the two countries.
He expressed admiration for Nigeria’s military training institutions and operational experience in tackling complex security threats.
Mbatha also revealed that he had directed his office to prepare an invitation for his Nigerian counterpart to visit South Africa as part of efforts to further strengthen bilateral military relations.
According to him, stronger cooperation between both armies will help advance the collective goal of ensuring lasting peace and stability across Africa.
Earlier, Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Waidi Shaibu, described the visit as strategic and timely in strengthening the long-standing relationship and army-to-army cooperation between Nigeria and South Africa.
Shaibu said the partnership between both countries had historically been anchored on shared values, mutual respect and a collective commitment to peace, security and development across Africa.
He noted that both countries had continued to collaborate in areas such as military education exchange programmes, peace support operations, capacity development and regional stabilisation initiatives.
According to him, the evolving security environment in Africa, including terrorism, insurgency, banditry and transnational organised crimes, requires stronger cooperation among African militaries.
Shaibu said the visit had provided an opportunity for both armies to share operational experiences, strengthen institutional cooperation and explore new areas of collaboration in capacity building, leadership development, intelligence sharing and doctrinal advancement.
He reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to building a highly professional, well-trained and combat-ready force capable of addressing contemporary and emerging threats within a joint and multi-agency environment.
Shaibu added that military diplomacy remained a critical tool for strengthening trust, fostering mutual understanding and building enduring institutional relationships among allied armies.
“The sustained interaction witnessed during this visit clearly reflects the strong bond of friendship and professionalism between the Nigerian Army and the South African Army,” he said.
during the visit, Mbatha toured key Nigerian Army commands and units, including the Nigerian Army Cyber Warfare Command and the Army Museum.
He also visited major military institutions such as the National Defence College Nigeria, Nigerian Defence Academy, Armed Forces Command and Staff College Nigeria, and the Army War College Nigeria.