Nigeria Pushes African-Led Airpower Alliance Against Terrorism At Tunis Summit
As terrorism, insurgency and transnational crimes continue to test Africa’s security architecture, Nigeria is intensifying calls for stronger continental military cooperation driven by African nations themselves.
This position was reinforced by the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, during the 2026 African Air Chiefs’ Symposium held in Tunis from May 11 to 15.
The symposium, organised by the Association of African Air Forces, brought together Air Chiefs, military leaders and strategic partners across the continent to strengthen collaboration in airpower development, intelligence sharing and coordinated security operations.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Air Marshal Aneke stressed that African nations must build practical and sustainable collective responses to evolving threats, noting that no single country can effectively tackle modern security challenges alone.
According to him, stronger partnerships, operational coordination and shared capabilities remain critical in confronting terrorism, insurgency, organised crime and humanitarian crises threatening peace and development across Africa.
The Nigerian Air Force boss also highlighted progress made by the Association, including successful joint exercises aimed at improving interoperability and operational readiness among African air forces ahead of a planned Field Training Exercise in Kenya in February 2027.
On the sidelines of the summit, the Nigerian delegation held bilateral and multilateral meetings with partner air forces and international stakeholders to deepen cooperation in training, intelligence sharing, joint exercises and counter-terrorism operations.
In a major outcome of the symposium, Air Marshal Aneke was unanimously re-elected Chairman of the Association of African Air Forces for another two-year term, reflecting growing confidence in Nigeria’s leadership role in advancing regional security cooperation.
The symposium ended with renewed commitments by African nations to strengthen political support, logistics cooperation, air mobility and indigenous capacity development in pursuit of lasting peace, stability and prosperity across the continent.
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