Martin Luther Agwai

Gen (rtd) Martin Luther Agwai CFR GCOR AFM NAM GSS is a retired four-star general of the Nigerian Army who served as Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Staff, holding Nigeria’s highest military appointments. He had a long and distinguished career spanning tactical, operational, and strategic leadership both in Nigeria and internationally, and is a committed advocate for peace, stability, and democratic values in Nigeria and across Africa.

During his military service, General Agwai held senior command, training and diplomatic roles, including Nigerian Defence Adviser covering Southern Africa (Harare, Zimbabwe), Director of Military Training at the Nigerian Defence Academy, Deputy Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), and Deputy Military Adviser at UN Headquarters in New York. He also served as Force Commander of the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) and became the first Joint Force Commander of the AU–UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), one of the largest peacekeeping missions of its time.

Following his retirement from active service, he has held academic and leadership positions, including Visiting Professor at the African Leadership Centre, King’s College London, and Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the University of Calabar. He currently serves as Director of the Olusegun Obasanjo Leadership Institute in Nigeria.

He is a graduate of the Nigerian Defence Academy, the British Army Staff College (Camberley), the U.S. Army Armor School, and the U.S. National Defense University in Washington, DC, where he earned a Master of Science in National Resource Strategy and was later inducted into the institution’s Hall of Fame. He is a recipient of numerous military, national and international honours, including Nigeria’s Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) and a Sierra Leone National Honour the Grand Commander of the Order of the Rokel (GCOR).