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

The lecture, titled “Nigeria’s Security Challenges and the Quest for National Cohesion: A New Paradigm for Internal Security Architecture and Governance”, is billed to begin at 10:00 a.m. It comes amid heightened concern over Nigeria’s internal security crisis and the search for lasting solutions to terrorism, communal conflict, and organised crime.

The Chairman of the event is Prof Tonnie Osa Iredia, former Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), former Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), and founder of Tonnie Iredia University of Communication, Benin City, Edo State.

According to Mr Fred Ohwahwa, President of JFCN, the high-profile forum will provide an avenue for deep reflection and policy dialogue on how Nigeria can rethink and rebuild its internal security systems in response to emerging national threats.

Dambazau, who served as Chief of Army Staff from 2008 to 2010 and as Minister of Interior from 2015 to 2019, is regarded as one of Nigeria’s most experienced voices on security. A career soldier with a PhD in Criminology from the University of Keele, United Kingdom, he has authored several papers on security sector reform, counterterrorism, and civil-military relations.

Ohwahwa said the lecture will examine Nigeria’s security architecture, highlight institutional weaknesses, and propose reforms balancing law enforcement, intelligence, and community-based approaches. It will also explore national cohesion and inclusive governance as tools for long-term peace.