Nigeria’s Strategic Partnerships: What the French Military Academy’s Visit to NDA Really Means

By Senator Iroegbu

The recent visit of Lt-Gen. Emmanuel Charpy, Commandant of the École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr (ESM)—France’s foremost military academy—to the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) in Kaduna may have seemed like another routine diplomatic engagement. But its more profound implications for Nigeria’s national security, strategic autonomy, and regional leadership are far more profound.

At a time when social media critics are quick to politicise every foreign engagement, the symbolism of this visit deserves sober reflection. It wasn’t about subservience or colonial nostalgia. It was an affirmation of mutual respect, professional excellence, and Nigeria’s growing capacity to engage the world on its own terms.

Unfortunately, there is a popular but dangerous misconception that any cooperation with Western nations represents neo-colonial dependence. This mindset, disguised as patriotism, is in fact strategic illiteracy. True sovereignty is not measured by whom you refuse to engage, but by your ability to partner with powerful nations as an equal while preserving independent decision-making.

The Commandant of one of the world’s most prestigious military academies did not visit Nigeria as a benefactor to a client state. He came as a peer, recognising that the NDA—after over six decades and more than 20,000 graduates—has matured into a globally respected institution, currently hosting cadets from 14 allied countries. The French visit was earned, not solicited. It was Nigeria’s capacity, not its dependency, that drew attention.

Look to the Sahel for caution. The Alliance of Sahel States—Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—chose to expel Western forces and sever partnerships with France, only to replace them with heavy dependence on Russia’s Wagner Group, now rebranded as Africa Corps. The results? Escalating insecurity, deteriorating governance, and rising civilian casualties.

They traded one external dependency for another, gaining rhetorical sovereignty but losing absolute control. This is not the path Nigeria should emulate. The smart path is the one that balances partnerships, diversifies alliances, and builds capacity across multiple fronts without ideological rigidity.

Against this backdrop, Nigeria’s geography and regional role demand multilingual, multinational competence. We are surrounded by Francophone nations, including Niger, Chad, Cameroon, and Benin. For our Armed Forces, proficiency in French isn’t a luxury; it’s an operational necessity for border coordination, intelligence sharing, and peacekeeping.

The NDA–ESM collaboration directly addresses this need. It enhances leadership development, language proficiency, and training methodology. Far from diminishing Nigeria’s sovereignty, it strengthens our defence capabilities and reinforces our regional leadership role in ECOWAS, the African Union, and United Nations missions.

Partnerships like these are not about dependency; they are about mutual learning and growth. French cadets will also gain exposure to African security dynamics and cultural diversity—critical experiences for future global officers.

To this end, Nigeria’s defence and foreign policy must be guided by one principle: national interest, not by emotional reactions to historical grievances, nor by blind alignment with any global bloc. The question we must always ask is: Does this partnership serve Nigeria’s long-term security and development objectives?

If the NDA–ESM partnership enhances training quality, language capability, and international recognition, then it passes that test. And this is only one among many—Nigeria maintains robust defence relations with the United States, United Kingdom, China, Russia, India, and several African nations. Our policy is not “either/or.” It is strategic flexibility—extracting value from multiple sources while maintaining autonomy.

Real patriotism is not loud rejection of foreign engagement; it is the quiet, steady pursuit of excellence. It means making pragmatic decisions that strengthen our national capacity, regardless of where functional expertise originates. It means wanting Nigerian officers to be among the best trained in the world—and knowing that achieving that standard requires learning from global best practices.

The NDA–ESM partnership exemplifies this approach: selective, strategic, and mutually beneficial. It reflects confidence, not submission. It reflects maturity, not dependence.

As other nations in the Sahel drift into isolationism and populist anti-Western rhetoric, Nigeria is charting a more balanced course—engaging without capitulating, cooperating without compromising sovereignty. That’s not weakness; that’s wisdom. It’s the kind of leadership Africa urgently needs: autonomy rooted in strength, not isolationism driven by insecurity.

The world’s power dynamics are shifting. Nations that will thrive are those able to build strategic bridges—not walls. Nigeria’s Defence Academy, by opening its gates to peer collaboration, is quietly doing just that.

In a nutshell, the visit of General Charpy to the NDA was more than a diplomatic gesture. It was recognition of excellence, a celebration of partnership, and a demonstration of Nigeria’s growing stature in global military education. It tells a story of a country confident in its identity, secure in its sovereignty, and determined to engage the world on its own terms.

Nigeria’s national interest must come first—not East, not West, but Nigeria first. The NDA’s example shows that by engaging wisely, learning broadly, and acting decisively, we can build a military—and a nation—worthy of our aspirations.

Senator Iroegbu is a security, geopolitics and development analyst. Email: Senator.iroegbu@yahoo.co.uk

Nigeria’s Strategic Partnerships: What the French Military Academy’s Visit to NDA Really Means

Man killed in love-related fight in Yobe community

By: Zagazola Makama

A 20-year-old man, identified as Jibrin Saidu Lamido, has been killed following a violent altercation over a romantic relationship in Gurdadi village, Yusufari Local Government Area of Yobe State.Sources said that the incident on Tuesday, saying it occurred around 2 a.m. on Monday when the deceased reportedly visited the home of his girlfriend, identified as Saratu Gata, aged 22, in Kalameri village.

An unknown man was said to have arrived at the scene, took the lady away, and challenged the deceased to follow them if he was “truly a man.” A fight subsequently broke out between both men, during which the suspect allegedly attacked Jibrin with a cutlass, inflicting severe injuries on his neck.

Security operatives from Kumaganam Outstation rushed the victim to the General Hospital, Kumaganam, where he was confirmed dead by a medical doctor.

His remains were later released to relatives for burial after an autopsy was conducted.

Police say efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspect.

Man killed in love-related fight in Yobe community

43 herders killed in renewed vigilante attacks in Kebbi, Niger States

By: Zagazola Makama

At least 43 Fulani herders have been killed in a series of coordinated attacks by suspected vigilante groups across parts of Kebbi and Niger States, according to community sources and local leaders.

Zagazola Makama report that the attacks, which occurred between Oct. 24 and 26, affected several rural settlements in Argungu, Arewa, and Bunza Local Government Areas of Kebbi State, where armed vigilantes reportedly invaded Fulani communities, killing dozens and setting houses ablaze.

In Lailaba District of Argungu LGA, particularly at Maini Fulani settlement, and in Bui and Tilli districts of Arewa and Bunza LGAs respectively, at least 37 people were killed, several others injured, and more than 200 houses destroyed. Many residents, including women and children, were displaced, while some persons remain missing.

Eyewitnesses said the attacks were carried out by groups of vigilantes who stormed the herders’ camps, shooting sporadically and torching homes. The violence was said to have begun on Oct. 24 in Argungu, followed by another on Oct. 25 in Bunza, and a third on Oct. 26 in Bui.

Community members alleged that the assailants came from neighbouring villages in Arewa LGA, including Yeldu District, while others involved in the Bui incident were said to have come from Tunga Bature, Tunga Tsoho, Bui, Sangela, and Danmairago villages.

Authorities in Kebbi have since visited the affected areas, promising to investigate the incident and bring those responsible to justice. The state government also assured displaced families of support and called for calm to prevent further escalation.

Meanwhile, similar violence was reported in Edati Local Government Area of Niger State, where six Fulani herders were killed and more than 60 houses burnt on Sept. 21 in Ejjin, Runji, Majina, and Ginshi villages.

Such acts of reprisal and mob justice could worsen communal relations and heighten insecurity across the affected states.

Reacting to the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has condemned the attacks in a statement issued in Abuja by the association’s National Secretary, Bello Aliyu Gotomo.

The group described the killings and destruction of herders’ settlements as unjustified and inhumane, calling for the arrest and prosecution of all those involved.

MACBAN lamented that herders in the region were already contending with the activities of armed bandits locally referred to as Lakurawa, who extort illegal taxes, seize livestock, and terrorise rural dwellers.

“Now, in addition to these threats, peaceful herders are being attacked by vigilantes acting outside the law. Allowing people to take the law into their hands will only worsen insecurity across the state,” the statement warned.

The group further expressed grief over a similar incident in Niger State, where six Fulani herders were killed and more than 60 houses burnt by vigilantes on Sept. 21, 2025, in the communities of Ejjin, Runji, Majina, and Ginshi in Edati Local Government Area.

MACBAN said the violence followed a misunderstanding between a farmer and a herder, after which some vigilantes mobilised and attacked herders’ homes while the herder involved was already in police custody.

The association commended the Governor of Niger State for his prompt intervention, which prevented the crisis from escalating further.

MACBAN, however, called on the Federal, State, and Local Governments to urgently address the rising wave of insecurity affecting rural communities across the country, noting that the situation had severely impacted livestock rearing and farming activities.

“The security crisis in rural areas demands immediate and coordinated attention from all tiers of government to protect lives and livelihoods,” Gotomo stated.

43 herders killed in renewed vigilante attacks in Kebbi, Niger States