UNIMAID VC Receives Acting GOC 7 Division, Reaffirms Commitment to Strategic Collaboration

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Maiduguri, UNIMAID, Professor Muhammed Laminu Mele, on Thursday, July 3, 2026, received the Acting General Officer Commanding, GOC, 7 Division, Nigerian Army/Joint Task Force Operation Hadin Kai, Brigadier General Solomon Simon Diwa, during a courtesy visit to his office at the Muhammadu Buhari Senate Building.  

During the engagement, Professor Mele expressed appreciation for the Acting GOC’s assurance of continued efforts to enhance the security of the university community and its environs. He commended the Nigerian Army for its commitment to maintaining peace and stability, which he described as essential for teaching, learning, and research.  

The Vice-Chancellor highlighted UNIMAID’s growing partnership with the military through its specialized research centres. He noted that the Centre for Peace, Diplomatic, and Development Studies has been collaborating with the military on research and policy initiatives aimed at promoting peace, security, and national development.  

He further disclosed that the Centre for the Study of Violent Extremism is intensifying efforts to address the root causes of extremism through research, dialogue, and evidence-based policy recommendations. According to him, the Centre is set to organize its first roundtable discussion with support from the North East Development Commission, NEDC.  

Professor Mele reaffirmed the University’s dedication to sustaining collaboration with the Nigerian Army and other security agencies to advance non-kinetic approaches to counter-insurgency, peacebuilding, and national development. He assured the Acting GOC of the University’s continued support in fostering strategic partnerships that will contribute to lasting peace and security in the North-East and Nigeria at large.  

Earlier in his remarks, Brigadier General Diwa said the visit was aimed at strengthening the existing collaboration between the military and the academic community.  

The Acting GOC stressed the importance of strategic partnership with the University to advance counter-insurgency efforts through research, innovation, and knowledge sharing. He noted that addressing contemporary security challenges requires not only kinetic military operations but also effective non-kinetic approaches that tackle the underlying causes of conflict.  

He identified areas for closer synergy to include peacebuilding, conflict prevention, community engagement, civil-military cooperation, capacity building, and countering violent extremism. He added that universities play a vital role in generating evidence-based solutions, shaping public policy, and building resilient communities.  

Brigadier General Diwa further observed that the University of Maiduguri, with its academic expertise, experienced researchers, and strategic location in the North-East, is uniquely positioned to contribute to sustainable solutions that complement ongoing military operations under Operation Hadin Kai.