Former Chief of Army Staff and ex-Minister of Interior, Lt. General Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau (Rtd), is expected to deliver the keynote address at the 7th Annual Lecture of the Just Friends Club of Nigeria (JFCN) scheduled for Tuesday, November 4, 2025, at the Bolingo Hotel, Abuja.
The event, which begins at 10 a.m., is themed “Nigeria’s Security Challenges and the Quest for National Cohesion: A New Paradigm for Internal Security Architecture and Governance.”
In a statement signed by the Chair of the Organising Committee, Mrs. Maria Cardillo, the Club said the lecture comes at a critical time when Nigeria is in need of “fresh, strategic thinking to tackle its internal security challenges and rebuild public confidence in governance.”
Cardillo noted that the annual lecture series has become one of the country’s most anticipated forums for national dialogue, attracting experts and stakeholders across various sectors.
“This year’s lecture is particularly significant because it focuses on the nexus between national security and cohesion,” she said. “We are honoured to have General Dambazau, whose vast experience in military service and public policy uniquely positions him to offer insight into building a more inclusive and effective security framework.”
The event will be chaired by Professor Tonnie Osa Iredia, former Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and founder of Tonnie Iredia University of Communication, Benin City.
According to the Club’s President, Mr. Fred Ohwahwa, the lecture will serve as “a platform for deep reflection and policy-oriented conversation on how Nigeria can rethink and rebuild its internal security systems amid emerging national threats.”
He added that the session “will challenge conventional ideas and propose a coherent vision for Nigeria’s unity and security.”
General Dambazau, who served as Chief of Army Staff from 2008 to 2010 and as Minister of Interior from 2015 to 2019, is a scholar-soldier with a Ph.D. in Criminology from the University of Keele, United Kingdom. He is known for his expertise in security sector reform, counterterrorism, and civil-military relations.
After the keynote address, a panel of experts—including Air Vice Marshal Gbolahan Adekunle (Rtd.), former Chief of Training and Operations of the Nigerian Air Force, and Professor Okey Ikechukwu of Nnamdi Azikiwe University—will discuss issues around national security and cohesion.
Cardillo said the annual lecture underscores the Club’s commitment to promoting informed dialogue and finding practical solutions to Nigeria’s challenges.
The Just Friends Club of Nigeria, a non-partisan association of professionals and technocrats, has over the years established itself as a platform for advancing civic engagement, policy reform, and good governance. Its annual lecture attracts policymakers, academics, civil society leaders, traditional rulers, youth representatives, and members of the diplomatic community committed to building a more cohesive nation.