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Insecurity: US won’t relocate Africa Command to Nigeria, others, Pentagon replies Buhari
The United States has said there is no plan to relocate its Africa Command from its current base in Germany to Nigeria or any other part of Africa despite the worsening state of insecurity in the region.
The US gave the response barely two weeks after the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), appealed to the US government to consider relocating AFRICOM to Africa to assist Nigeria and other adjoining countries to combat worsening terrorism, banditry and other security crises.
The President made the plea in a virtual meeting with the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, on April 27.
Germany-based Africa Command (AFRICOM) is the US military headquarters that oversees its operations in Africa.
Buhari’s request followed a series of recent military casualties in Nigeria’s decade-long fight against Boko Haram terrorists, fresh expansion of the insurgents’ bases to Niger and Nasarawa states, and heavy wave of abductions and killings by bandits in the North.
Buhari said, “The security challenges in Nigeria remain of great concern to us and impacted more negatively, by existing complex negative pressures in the Sahel, Central and West Africa, as well as the Lake Chad Region.
“Compounded as the situation remains, Nigeria and her security forces remain resolutely committed to containing them and addressing their root causes.
“The support of important and strategic partners like the United States cannot be overstated as the consequences of insecurity will affect all nations, hence the imperative for concerted cooperation and collaboration of all nations to overcome these challenges.
“In this connection, and considering the growing security challenges in West and Central Africa, Gulf of Guinea, Lake Chad region and the Sahel, weighing heavily on Africa, it underscores the need for the United States to consider relocating AFRICOM headquarters from Stuttgart, Germany to Africa and near the Theatre of Operation.”
However, the US government on Thursday ruled out any plan to relocate AFRICOM from its current base in Germany to Nigeria or any part of Africa.
According to the United States Department of Defence’ Pentagon, previous studies have shown that the cost of relocating AFRICOM from Germany to Africa is very huge.
In an emailed response to Saturday PUNCH, the Pentagon said although it would continue to value Nigeria and other countries in Africa as important partners, the American government would not consider relocating AFRICOM to any part of the African continent at the moment.
This newspaper had asked if the US would consider Nigeria’s request to relocate AFRICOM to the continent.
The US Pentagon spokesperson, Ms Cindi King, said, “Although there is an ongoing Global Posture Review, the relocation of Combatant Command headquarters is outside the scope of its assessment. In the case of AFRICOM, previous studies have concluded that the cost associated with the relocation of this headquarters is significant and likely to incur the expense of other engagement opportunities and activities that more directly benefit our valued African partners.
“We greatly value the partnership with Nigeria and appreciate President Buhari’s recognition of the United States’ positive contribution to African peace and security, as well as other regional partners that have made similar past pronouncements. The United States remains committed to continuing our close partnership with African countries and organisations to promote security and stability.”
It’s ‘near impossible’ for America to accept Buhari’s invitation – Campbell, ex-US ambassador
Meanwhile, a former United States Ambassador to Nigeria, John Campbell, has listed reasons why it is “unlikely or near impossible” for the US government to relocate AFRICOM from Stuttgart in Germany to Nigeria or any part of the continent.
He said aside from the fact that the cost of doing so is very huge, the Nigerian military had proved to be a difficult partner for the US over the years.
In an emailed interview with Saturday PUNCH, Campbell, who is the Ralph Bunche Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, a Washington, DC-based think-tank, said, “From an American perspective, moving AFRICOM’s headquarters after 14 years in Stuttgart would be a major undertaking.
“However, should the AFRICOM headquarters move, it is unlikely – if not impossible – that it would be to Africa, with its logistical challenges. Some in the US Congress support moving AFRICOM’s headquarters to the United States as a cost-effective alternative. For example, South Carolina’s senators, both Republican, have advocated moving it to Charleston, the site of large US military installations.
“It is mostly a matter of money. Moving AFRICOM to Africa would require the construction of a sophisticated installation in areas where the basic infrastructure may not yet have been developed. Moving it to the United States would mean making use of already existing but underused installation (e.g., perhaps Charleston) that could be quickly and more cheaply expanded, if necessary.”
The ex-envoy, however, said Buhari’s request marked a reversal of Nigeria’s official opposition to AFRICOM plans to move it to the continent 14 years ago.
“The shift likely reflects the conclusion that the security situation in West Africa and Nigeria is out of control, spurring a willingness to consider options hitherto unacceptable. Buhari argued that AFRICOM’s headquarters should be closer to the theatre of operations. He also seemed to imply greater US involvement in West African security, including a kinetic dimension in the context of greater Western support for West Africa’s response to its security threats.”
He recalled that when President George W Bush established AFRICOM in 2007, a military-civilian hybrid command in support of Africa, African official reaction was largely hostile, seeing the effort as “neo-colonialist.”
Campbell said, “The Nigerian government took the lead in persuading or strong-arming other African states against accepting the AFRICOM headquarters, which was thereupon established at Stuttgart, Germany, already the headquarters of the European Command.
“In addition to opposing AFRICOM in the first place, the Nigerian military authorities have been largely uncooperative with the US military. Hence, the US military involvement in Nigeria, beyond limited training operations, is minimal, and the country does not host any American defence installations.
“Successive Nigerian governments have wanted to purchase sophisticated American military equipment but have rejected US oversight. In fact, Nigerian purchases of US military materials have been rare, despite their high-profile, ultimately successful purchase of 12 A-29 Super Tucanos – sophisticated aircraft.”
Why US can’t relocate AFRICOM troops from Germany to Nigeria –Chatham House fellow
Corroborating Campbell’s view, an Associate Fellow at the United Kingdom-based Chatham House, Matthew Page, said there was no prospect of the US relocating its AFRICOM HQ from Germany to any part of Africa.
Chatham House, also known as the Royal Institute of International Affairs, is an independent policy institute headquarters whose mission is to provide authoritative commentary on world events and offer solutions to global challenges.
Page said, “There is absolutely no prospect of this happening. A combatant command headquarters is an administrative node that requires enormous physical infrastructure and thousands of personnel (and their families) to sustain it. They need to be able to safely live, work, and send their children to school locally. The Nigerian government is unable to safeguard the lives of hard-working Nigerians, never mind a US military installation that would be a juicy target for a terrorist attack.
“With the exception of European Command and Africa Command – which for longstanding historical reasons are located and headquartered in Germany – all combatant commands are located in the United States. These commands do have forward elements and subordinate commands based in the theatre of operations, such as Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) based in Djibouti. But these typically are task-specific and have a light local footprint. The United States is not – and doesn’t want to be – an imperial power with permanent military outposts on the continent. Nor should African leaders be asking it to become one.”
Page, who was previously with the US Department of State’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research, further said, “I am sure the Biden administration was puzzled by President Buhari’s invitation, given that Nigeria has been a reluctant and difficult security partner for the United States. The Nigerian Army has long viewed US military engagement in West Africa with deep suspicion, shunning deeper ties and ignoring Washington’s calls for security sector reform and human rights improvements. Inviting AFRICOM to relocate to Nigeria is the equivalent of proposing marriage before going on a first date.”
Nigeria, other African leaders must take responsibility for citizens’ security – Expert
However, a counter-terrorism expert and Senior Researcher for the Lake Chad Basin Programme at the Institute for Security Studies, Dakar, Senegal, Dr Akinola Olojo, has said that Buhari and other African leaders must take responsibility for the security of their citizens, noting that the entire burden cannot be pushed on foreign countries.
He spoke against a backdrop of Nigeria and African countries getting US help in the fight against terrorists and other criminals in the region.
Olojo said, “The relocation of the United States Africa Command from Germany to Africa would depend on a number of factors anchored on the foreign policy priorities of the US in the current period. Beyond this, however, is the need for Nigeria (and African countries) to be sincere with a self-interrogation regarding whether the relocation of an external entity such as AFRICOM will address Africa’s challenges of insecurity.
“The ultimate burden of responsibility for ensuring the human security of African citizens lies on the leadership or governments in Africa. The presence of French troops supporting the G5 Sahel Joint Force for nearly a decade has not really solved the fundamental or root causes of the crisis affecting Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. To be clear, there is nothing wrong with global partnerships when it comes to addressing insecurity. Besides, challenges such as violent extremism have a transnational character and in early 2020, the US and Kenya launched a joint terrorism task force. As long as such frameworks are mutually beneficial, this is good.
“However, the governments of Nigeria and countries in Africa must begin to live up to the responsibility entrusted to them by citizens. In other words, leadership in Africa must inspire and drive the process for implementing the different policy frameworks and national action plans which already exist on the continent.”
Meanwhile, a government official familiar with US operations said even if the US chose to relocate its AFRICOM to Nigeria or any part of the West Coast, it would come with its own challenges which might affect Nigeria or its neighbours adversely.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said, “Bringing AFRICOM to Africa or Nigeria will be a major problem for Nigeria and the African continent. Bringing AFRICOM to Nigeria, for example, will be tantamount to inviting or attracting all the enemies of the US, including global terrorist organisations, to the host country. Such a host country will become a subject of attack from terrorist organisations.”
President Joe Biden had in February stopped the planned withdrawal of US troops from Germany that was ordered last year by the Donald Trump administration but had never actually begun, Associated Press reported.
Biden said the troops’ pullout would be halted until the US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin did a review of America’s troops presence around the globe.
Austin, he said, would ensure that “our military footprint is appropriately aligned with our foreign policy and national security priorities.”
In a statement, Austin said the US Department of Defence would conduct “a global force posture review of U.S. military footprint, resources, strategy and missions.”
The review, he said, “will inform my advice to the commander in chief about how we best allocate military forces in pursuit of national interests. The review will be led by the acting undersecretary of defence for policy, in close consultation with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.”
Last year, President Trump announced that he was going to pull out about 9,500 of the roughly 34,500 US troops stationed in Germany. The US has several major military facilities in the country, including Ramstein Air Base, the headquarters for US European Command and US Africa Command, and Landstuhl Regional Medical Centre, the largest American hospital outside the United States.
Trump’s order met resistance from Congress as well as from within the military, which has long relied on Germany as a key ally and base of operations. Trump announced the troop cuts after repeatedly accusing Germany of not paying enough for its own defence, calling the long time NATO ally “delinquent” for failing to spend two per cent of its GDP on defence, the alliance benchmark.
Austin hinted at a likely reconsideration of the order in a conversation with his German counterpart.
German officials believe the order will be rescinded by the new administration, and the German Defence Ministry said that in Austin’s call with his German counterpart, he “emphasised that Germany is highly valued as a station and that American soldiers feel very comfortable here.”
“The US continues to consider its presence in Germany as an important part of joint security,” the Defense Ministry said.
-Saturday Punch
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Tinubu orders security forces to hunt down killers after 30 murdered in Kaduna attack
Tinubu orders security forces to hunt down killers after 30 murdered in Kaduna attack
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force and relevant intelligence agencies to launch an intensified manhunt for those responsible for the deadly attack that claimed the lives of about 30 people in Naridon Village, Kamaru Ward, Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The attack, which occurred in the early hours of Monday, left men, women and children dead, while several others sustained injuries. Homes and other property were also set ablaze, forcing many residents to flee the community.
Describing the incident as a “barbaric and cowardly” assault on innocent citizens, President Tinubu vowed that the perpetrators would be apprehended and made to face the full weight of the law.
The President said criminal elements would not be allowed to reverse the security gains recorded in Kaduna State and other parts of the country.
“I have directed the Armed Forces, police, and relevant intelligence agencies to intensify operations across the affected areas to track down the perpetrators swiftly and restore normalcy to the region.”
Tinubu reiterated his administration’s commitment to strengthening the country’s security architecture through improved intelligence gathering, enhanced operational capacity and sustained efforts to dismantle criminal networks threatening lives and property.
“Our administration has an unwavering commitment to strengthening security infrastructure, equipping response personnel, and neutralising criminal networks attempting to disrupt the peace of the nation.”
The President also appealed to residents of affected communities to support ongoing security operations by providing timely and credible intelligence that could help security agencies prevent future attacks and apprehend those responsible.
While expressing condolences to the families of the victims, Tinubu sympathised with Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, the Kaduna State Government and residents of the state over the tragic loss of lives.
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He assured affected communities that the Federal Government would continue working closely with security agencies to restore peace and improve safety across Kaduna State and other troubled parts of the country.
The Kaduna State Government also condemned the attack, describing it as a senseless act of violence against innocent citizens. State authorities said security agencies had been directed to intensify operations in the affected area and ensure those behind the attack are arrested and prosecuted. The government reaffirmed its commitment to protecting lives and property while collaborating with federal security agencies to strengthen surveillance and prevent further attacks across vulnerable communities.
Meanwhile, the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) has urged the Kaduna State Police Command and other security agencies to adopt more proactive strategies to tackle the recurring killings, kidnappings and attacks in Southern Kaduna.
In an open letter addressed to Governor Uba Sani and the Commissioner of Police, SOKAPU National President, Engr. Tabara Kato, described the Naridon attack as another painful reminder of the persistent insecurity confronting communities in Kauru, Kajuru, Chikun and Zangon Kataf local government areas.
According to the union, repeated attacks have displaced families, destroyed homes and farmlands, disrupted farming activities and left thousands of residents living in fear.
SOKAPU called on security agencies to move beyond reactive responses by deploying tactical and counter-terrorism units to vulnerable communities and forest corridors believed to serve as hideouts for criminal groups.
The organisation also advocated increased intelligence-led operations, regular patrols of farming communities, improved surveillance and quicker responses to distress calls. It stressed that restoring public confidence would require consistent communication between security agencies and local communities, alongside decisive action against those responsible for violent attacks.
The latest killings have once again drawn attention to the security challenges facing parts of Kaduna State, particularly in Southern Kaduna, where communities have experienced repeated attacks, kidnappings and communal violence over the years.
The violence has resulted in significant loss of lives, mass displacement and destruction of livelihoods, while many farmers have been unable to cultivate their land due to persistent security threats.
Security analysts say sustained military operations, improved intelligence sharing and stronger collaboration among federal, state and local authorities will be critical to addressing the root causes of insecurity and preventing future attacks.
As investigations continue, residents of Naridon and neighbouring communities are hoping for swift justice and stronger security measures to enable them to return to their normal lives without fear.
Tinubu orders security forces to hunt down killers after 30 murdered in Kaduna attack
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Tinubu Agrees to Meet South African Envoy After Ramaphosa’s Intervention
Tinubu Agrees to Meet South African Envoy After Ramaphosa’s Intervention
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reversed his earlier decision and agreed to receive the South African special envoy, following a telephone conversation with President Cyril Ramaphosa over the weekend. The South African delegation, led by Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola, arrived in Abuja on Friday, July 24, 2026, with what was described as a “very important message” for the Nigerian leader. The delegation had reportedly been left waiting at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja after being unable to secure an audience with President Tinubu.
The initial refusal to receive the South African envoy came amid growing concerns over persistent xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa. The diplomatic standoff was further intensified by the alleged killing of a Nigerian national, Chika Ibe, who was reportedly taken from his residence at Parksig Villas Complex in Bellville, Cape Town, and tortured to death by personnel of the South African Police Service (SAPS). Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, advised that it was not an appropriate time for President Tinubu to receive the South African envoy, citing the continued attacks on Nigerians, their businesses, and properties in South Africa. According to diplomatic sources, she stressed that the South African delegation could not secure a presidential audience without a prior appointment and concrete commitments from Pretoria.
A key condition set by Nigeria is the ratification of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Early Warning Mechanism (EWM) , which both countries signed in Abuja on October 22, 2025. The agreement was designed to strengthen cooperation between both countries in monitoring threats of violence, protecting citizens, and addressing consular matters. It also provides for rapid communication channels to de-escalate security risks involving foreign nationals and prevent xenophobic attacks. South Africa has reportedly failed to ratify the agreement, citing what Nigerian officials described as inadequate reasons. Officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that the framework could have facilitated compensation claims for Nigerians whose businesses and properties were destroyed during previous xenophobic attacks in South Africa. However, South African authorities have so far declined to compensate victims.
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Following back-channel moves by South African authorities, including a call initiated by President Ramaphosa over the weekend, President Tinubu agreed to meet with the delegation. The meeting is expected to hold later, with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, playing a crucial role in the absence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who is currently in Addis Ababa. The diplomatic engagement comes as South Africa faces growing pressure over anti-immigrant protests and the treatment of foreign nationals. Lamola has been engaging leaders on the continent to explain Pretoria’s approach to migration management and efforts to prevent violence against foreign nationals.
Nigeria has maintained a firm stance against xenophobic attacks in South Africa. At the 69th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS, held recently in Lungi, Sierra Leone, Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Tinubu, condemned the attacks and pledged that Nigeria would push for stronger measures against xenophobia at the African Union. Shettima called for a united continental response to protect the rights and dignity of Africans living across the continent and disclosed that the Federal Government had evacuated 1,490 Nigerians affected by previous xenophobic violence. He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to working with regional and continental institutions to address the crisis. Observers believe South Africa’s diplomatic outreach may be driven by concerns over the potential impact of deteriorating relations on South African investments and businesses operating in Nigeria, as well as Nigeria’s growing campaign for tougher continental measures against xenophobia. South African companies with significant investments in Nigeria include major firms in telecommunications, banking, and retail sectors, which could face heightened scrutiny if tensions persist. The meeting between Tinubu and the South African envoy is expected to provide an opportunity for both countries to address the concerns and strengthen bilateral engagement on migration management, diplomatic cooperation, and the protection of nationals affected by recent tensions.
Tinubu Agrees to Meet South African Envoy After Ramaphosa’s Intervention
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Nigeria’s Renewable Energy Milestone: 15 Universities Now Fully Connected to Solar Farms
Nigeria’s Renewable Energy Milestone: 15 Universities Now Fully Connected to Solar Farms
The Rural Electrification Agency has achieved a major milestone in Nigeria’s energy transition, successfully connecting 15 federal universities to solar farms while advancing the world’s largest publicly funded renewable energy access programme. The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has announced that 15 universities across Nigeria have been fully connected to solar farms through its renewable energy intervention programmes, marking a transformative step toward sustainable energy infrastructure for the nation’s education sector. REA Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Abba Aliyu, disclosed this achievement during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday, confirming that all 15 institutions are now fully operational with their solar installations. “We also have completed our interventions in the universities where we completed 15 universities as of today. All these universities now are fully connected with the solar farms,” Aliyu stated. This development represents a critical pivot away from the unreliable national grid toward localized, renewable energy generation for Nigeria’s tertiary education sector, delivering uninterrupted power to support 202,983 students, 23,088 staff members, and 5,500 medical professionals across these institutions.
The university solarisation forms an integral component of the Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up (DARES) project, which Aliyu described as the largest publicly funded renewable energy access programme in the world. The DARES initiative is structured to catalyze the off-grid energy market through targeted grant support for mini-grid and standalone solar projects, aiming to impact the lives of approximately 17.5 million Nigerians. The Nigeria DARES Project is a $750 million initiative funded by the World Bank and is designed to accelerate access to reliable, decentralized energy solutions for unserved and underserved communities across Nigeria. The project aims to empower state governments, enable private sector participation, and scale solar technologies while contributing to the broader Mission 300 agenda—a global effort to deliver energy access to 300 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2030. Aliyu emphasized that the project has attracted significant interest and participation from the private sector, contributing to its rapid expansion, noting that for the first time in the country, the agency is deploying more than 1,000 mini-grids nationwide, including both isolated and interconnected mini-grids.
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The university solarisation is primarily executed under the REA’s Energizing Education Programme (EEP) , a Federal Government of Nigeria initiative aimed at providing reliable and sustainable electricity to Federal Universities and their affiliated Teaching Hospitals through solar hybrid power plants and rehabilitated distribution infrastructure. The programme is being implemented in phases, with EEP Phase II, funded by the World Bank, covering seven universities and two teaching hospitals where commissioning is already underway across all institutions, delivering a combined 32MW of newly installed captive solar power plants across beneficiary institutions. Notable installations under Phase II include a 12MW hybrid system at the University of Maiduguri and its Teaching Hospital in Borno State, a 7MW plant at the University of Calabar and its Teaching Hospital, a 3MW installation at the University of Abuja, 3MW installations at the Federal University of Agriculture in Abeokuta and the Michael Okpara Federal University of Agriculture in Umudike, a 2.5MW facility at the Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna, and a 1.5MW installation at Federal University, Gashua in Yobe State. EEP Phase III, funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB), covers eight federal universities and one teaching hospital, with commissioning targeted for Q4 2025, adding another 36.5MW of clean capacity across eight additional university campuses, with Aliyu confirming that “another round of eight more have been developed” as the agency continues expanding its footprint in the education sector.
The cost-saving impact of the programme has been remarkable, with Alex Ekwueme Federal University saving almost ₦2 billion in the last five years on energy bills, showcasing how sustainable energy solutions can drive financial efficiency in public institutions, which is particularly significant given that recent increases in electricity tariffs have impacted public universities, with some paying between N150 million and N300 million monthly for electricity bills. Beyond power access, the EEP Phase II projects have already equipped 140 female STEM students with hands-on training in power system design and construction, while an additional 700 students will be trained in renewable energy courses at world-class training centers in the first year of operations and maintenance, demonstrating the programme’s commitment to inclusive capacity building.
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The REA’s renewable energy push extends beyond universities, with the agency currently deploying more than 1,000 mini-grids nationwide, alongside 48 interconnected mini-grid projects developed in collaboration with electricity distribution companies, operating on aggressive execution timelines of between six and eight months per site. The DARES project has also attracted significant private-sector interest and participation, with Aliyu confirming that the agency has signed several memoranda of understanding with Nigerian banks covering equipment financing, debt financing, and bridge financing for private-sector operators, catalyzing N1.1 billion private sector funding to deploy 1,350 mini grids. Under the Performance-Based Grant sub-component for isolated mini-grids, for instance, Privida Power Limited secured a grant to deploy 2.47 megawatts of solar mini-grids across eleven communities in Kogi State, providing over 11,027 new connections, while eight companies under the Standalone Solar Systems component signed agreements to roll out tier 1 and 2 plug-and-play solutions to households and MSMEs across rural Nigeria. The REA recently completed Nigeria’s first nationwide electricity access mapping exercise, which identified more than 750,000 communities requiring energy infrastructure development, providing critical data for the expansion of electricity access through renewable energy projects.
In a move to ensure the long-term viability of these investments, the REA has established a sustainability framework requiring beneficiary institutions to actively maintain their solar infrastructure, with representatives from 15 universities signing collaborative agreements during the 2024 EEP Stakeholders’ Engagement Forum committing to regular maintenance protocols and financial responsibility for ongoing operational costs. The REA maintains that the approach is private-sector driven, with capital grants used to incentivise operators rather than relying solely on traditional government contracting models, ensuring sustainability as private operators have their own financial stake in the infrastructure they deploy and manage. Aliyu highlighted the agency’s commitment to expanding access to underserved communities, noting that the comprehensive mapping exercise has enabled the agency to strategically target interventions where they are most needed, ensuring that the benefits of renewable energy reach all corners of the country.
Nigeria’s Renewable Energy Milestone: 15 Universities Now Fully Connected to Solar Farms
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