The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) has attended the maiden African Chiefs of Defence Staff Summit (ACHODSS), held in Abuja, Nigeria, from 25 to 27 August 2025.

The summit, held under the theme “Combating Contemporary Threats to Regional Peace and Security in Africa: The Role of Strategic Defence Collaboration,” brought together 37 Defence Chiefs from across the continent to discuss African-led solutions to pressing security challenges.

Deliberations focused on border management, counterterrorism, artificial intelligence in defence, maritime security, and innovative funding through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs).

Key outcomes included:

Renewed commitment to regional collaboration and intelligence sharing

Greater focus on capacity building and interoperability

Adoption of ACHODSS as an annual African Union–led event

On the sidelines, the GAF CDS held bilateral talks with Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, to explore new areas of cooperation.

He also met with CEOs of Nigerian defence industries to consider PPP initiatives aimed at enhancing GAF’s logistics and operational capacity.

In a statement, GAF reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Africa’s collective efforts towards a united, resilient and sustainable defence architecture, in pursuit of peace, security and development across the continent.