Dambazau to deliver lecture on security, national cohesion at JFCN forum

Former Chief of Army Staff and ex-Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau (Rtd), is set to deliver the keynote lecture at the 7th Annual Lecture of the Just Friends Club of Nigeria (JFCN), scheduled for Tuesday, November 4, 2025, at the Bolingo Hotel, Abuja.

Themed “Nigeria’s Security Challenges and the Quest for National Cohesion: A New Paradigm for Internal Security Architecture and Governance,” the lecture will address Nigeria’s evolving internal security concerns and explore strategies for strengthening peace, unity, and national stability.

The event, which begins at 10 a.m., will be chaired by Prof. Tonnie Osa Iredia, former Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and National Orientation Agency (NOA).

In a statement issued by Mrs. Maria Cardillo, Chair of the Organising Committee, the Club’s President, Mr. Fred Ohwahwa, said the lecture would serve as a policy-focused forum for rethinking Nigeria’s security architecture.

He explained that General Dambazau’s presentation would examine institutional gaps in the country’s internal security system and propose reforms that integrate law enforcement, intelligence, and community-driven solutions.

“Ohwahwa said the lecture comes at a time when Nigeria urgently needs fresh, pragmatic ideas to confront terrorism, banditry, and other security threats while fostering unity and inclusive governance,” the statement noted.

General Dambazau, who served as Chief of Army Staff from 2008 to 2010 and later as Minister of Interior (2015–2019), is renowned for his expertise in national security and governance.

He holds a Ph.D. in Criminology from the University of Keele, United Kingdom, and has authored several works on security sector reform, counterterrorism, and civil-military relations.

Following the keynote address, a high-level panel discussion will feature leading experts, including Air Vice Marshal Gbolahan Adekunle (Rtd), former Chief of Training and Operations, Nigerian Air Force; and Prof. Okey Ikechukwu, Professor of Strategic Management at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.

The Just Friends Club of Nigeria, a non-partisan network of professionals and technocrats, has been hosting its annual lecture series as a platform for national dialogue on governance, policy reform, and civic leadership.

Previous editions of the forum have attracted policymakers, academics, security experts, youth leaders, and members of the diplomatic community.

This year’s edition, organisers say, is expected to draw a wide spectrum of stakeholders, including government officials, lawmakers, retired military officers, traditional rulers, civil society leaders, and development partners, in what promises to be a defining conversation on Nigeria’s path to lasting peace and cohesion.