Strengthening Bonds: Invictus Games Foundation at the First African Chiefs of Defence Summit

The Invictus Games Foundation (IGF) was honoured to be involved in the inaugural African Chiefs of Defence Summit 2025, held in Abuja, Nigeria. During the summit, the most senior military leaders from across the African continent came together to address shared priorities in defence, security, and the welfare of their service personnel.

General Musa OFR of Nigeria hosted the three-day event, bringing together senior officers from 39 nations plus senior political figures, academics and industry leaders from across the continent of Africa. It was the first occasion of its kind, focusing on tackling contemporary threats to regional peace and security in Africa and the role of strategic defence collaboration in mitigation as well as supporting armed forces personnel in their difficult and multi-faceted roles.

As a demonstration to General Musa’s continued dedication to the development of sports recovery, David Wiseman, Chief International Programmes and Strategy Officer at IGF, was invited to address the distinguished guests during the opening ceremony of the conference.

David spoke about the incredible progress being made in Nigeria, inviting other nations to follow its example by promoting the important role of sport in improving recovery and rehabilitation outcomes for those who become injured or sick during or as a result of their military service. David was immediately followed by Deputy Secretary General of the UN, Ms Amina Mohammed and the Vice President of Nigeria, The Honorable Senator Kashim Shettima.

During his speech, David Wiseman stated, “As proven by my presence today and the incredible work here in Nigeria, we operate at the political level to catalyse systemic change across a growing international movement, focusing on where the need is great whilst maintaining support for the community we have built over the past decade.”

Our presence at the Summit reflects the growing international reach of the Invictus Movement. Since Nigeria joined the Invictus Community of Nations in 2022, their commitment to the role of sport in recovery for wounded injured and sick service personnel and veterans has been a beacon to others. From participating in their first Invictus Games Dusseldorf 2023 to building a bespoke Armed Forces Invictus Recovery Centre, which could be a venue for future Invictus Games.

The engagement in Africa builds on momentum from a visit to the region earlier in the year to grow and diversify the global Invictus Games Foundation’s community, while reinforcing the powerful role of African nations in shaping the future of recovery through sport.

The Invictus Games Foundation continues to build partnerships that support the recovery needs of service communities year-round, ensuring that sport programmes are accessible where the need is great.

You can find all the speeches from the opening ceremony below, with the address from the Invictus Games Foundation at 54:20.