Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede, in January 2025, revealed why Nigeria and West Africa do not need foreign military boots in the sub-region, citing the potential for conflict escalation.

Oluyede made the statement during an interview with Al Jazeera, where he addressed allegations of human rights abuses and corruption within the military, as well as challenges threatening troop morale and operational capacity.

Nigeria has battled Boko Haram and groups affiliated with ISIL (ISIS) for over 15 years, with millions affected and thousands killed.

“Nigeria doesn’t need any boots on the ground. We will continue with our joint training and joint courses. All we need is to secure the equipment, and I assure you, we can secure our area,” he said.

“Boots on the ground create more problems. Imagine bringing country X into your territory; the next thing you know, other terrorist groups will want to join the fight because they have issues with them. We don’t want Nigeria, West Africa, or Africa to be turned into a proxy war zone, because that’s what would happen next.”

“Nigeria is good to go,” he added.

The interview resurfaced after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened military action against the Nigerian government following claims of a Christian genocide.