By Okey Ikechukwu Following the article “The Army, NADCEL 2026 and ALFF”, which appeared on this page last Saturday, many have called to ask questions on one aspect of the article or the other. The most recurring four questions are: (1) What is the African Land Forces Forum (ALFF)? (2) Is the ALFF a sort of joint platform of the armies of African countries, excluding the Navy and Airforce of the nations concerned? (3) Was it the ALFF that organized the 2026 Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL), which held in Port Harcourt? (4) Were the issues I raised about the mishandling of my involvement an isolated event targeting me as a person, or were there any cases of similar treatment? First, the ALFF. It is an international defense and security conference that brings together army chiefs, senior military officers, government officials, defense companies, researchers, and security experts to discuss the future of land warfare and security in Africa. It serves as a platform for strategic dialogue, military cooperation, and the showcasing of innovations and breakthroughs in defense technology. That is why it is often accompanied by exhibitions. The advertised core objectives include the strengthening of cooperation among African armies, the sharing of lessons on counterterrorism, counterinsurgency and border security. It extends to peacekeeping, dialogues on modernization of land forces, as well as new equipment and military doctrine. Over, and in addition to, the foregoing is the project of connecting African militaries with defense manufacturers and technology providers through the exhibitions and business meetings occasioned at the forum. The most current edition of the ALFF was held from 4–6 July 2026 in Port Harcourt, and was hosted under the patronage of NADCEL as the strategic defense forum of NADCEL 2026. That is perhaps why it started immediately after the formal conclusion of the former, focusing on terrorism, insurgency, border security, organized crime, force modernization, intelligence, and defense innovation. The conference and the accompanying international defense exhibition where companies displayed military vehicles, surveillance systems, communications equipment, drones, and other technologies, were all part of the complete package. I found it curious that many of the people who called me after last week’s article were asking whether the ALFF was the same thing as the African Land Forces Summit (ALFS). This is understandable, given that their names are similar. But they are not the same. While the ALFF is an industry-supported defense forum, hosted in partnership with African militaries, such as the 2026 edition hosted by the Nigerian Army, the ALFS is an annual forum organized by the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa that brings together African military leaders with U.S. and partner nations. Thus, the ALFF is not a military exercise or combat operation, but a professional conference where military leaders exchange ideas. They discuss security challenges, and engage with the defense industry to explore equipment and technology options that could improve the capabilities of African land forces. To that extent, we can describe the ALFF as a premier strategic defense event that brings together Chiefs of Army, senior military leaders, and global defense innovators. The recent 3rd edition in Port Harcourt showcased a military expo, or defense exhibition, as a trade show where governments, military leaders, and defense contractors display military hardware, weapons technology, and advancements in security systems. This 3rd ALFF, which was previously called the International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEC), came across as Africa’s largest and most influential land forces event. Its hosting under the patronage of the Nigerian Army as a strategic defence conference saw Chiefs of Army and senior military leadership from African and non-African nations, coming together to address the continent’s most pressing security challenges; from terrorism and insurgency to border protection and organized banditry. The foregoing, I believe, should suffice as answers to all the questions raised by callers, except one. And that is the question of whether I was deliberately targeted by the organizers who invited me, for deliberate embarrassment and possible humiliation. The answer is “no”. I do not see what anyone stood to gain by that, especially after specifically inviting me, and having me play the assigned roles we agreed upon. I simply put it down to logistics tardiness and, possibly, the limited experience of the officer relating with me on the matter; whose people management skills was simply appalling. For anyone who may still be thinking that it was personal, let me cite the even far worse experience of another individual who was invited like me, for the event. The person in ques
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