Brigadier General Saleh Bala (Rtd) is the Chief Executive Officer of White Ink Consult, a private defence and security research, strategic communications and training consultancy firm-based in Abuja, Nigeria and founder of the White Ink Institute for Strategy Education and Research (WISER), Abuja, Nigeria, an institute focusing on capacity building at executive and middle cadre levels on security governance strategy and national security policy. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Literature, from the University of Maiduguri, Nigeria (1982) and a Masters Degree in International Peace Studies, from the University for Peace, San Jose, Costa Rica (2006) and another Masters in National Security Strategy, from the National Defence University, National War College, Washington DC (2009). He is a Distinguished Honour Graduate of the US Special Forces Detachment Officers Qualification Course (1991), John F Kennedy, United States Special Warfare Centre, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and an alumnus of the International Institute of Humanitarian Law, Sanremo, Italy, International Refugee Law Course (2010) and also a member of the institute’s Training Advisory Group. Bala is a resource associate of the Africa Centre for Strategic Studies (ACSS), National Defence University, Washington DC and the Africa Institute for Strategic and Security Studies, Alexandria, Virginia, USA. Has been working extensively with the ACSS in the areas of sensitization and capacity development for the formulation of National Security Strategies for African nations, as well as for the development of National Preventing/Counter Violent Strategies across Africa.

Bala was commissioned into the Nigerian Army on 15 December 1984. He served in various command, staff and training capacities, which included company commander, 72 Parachute Battalion (1987-88), instructor at the Nigerian Army Infantry School, Airborne, Tactics and Special Warfare Wings (1988-93). He also served as an instructor at the Nigerian Defence Academy (1993-95), as well as a Directing Staff at the Nigerian Armed Forces Command and Staff College (2002-2004) and the National Defence College (2009-2011). Bala had peacekeeping experience as a UN Military Observer at the United Nations Verification Mission in Angola II (1995-96) and was the Military Chief of Staff, United Nations Operations in Cote D’Ivoire (2011-2012). His last military assignment was as the Chief of Staff, the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps Center (2012-13). He served in a consultant capacity asthe Senior Special Adviser (Policy and Strategy Development) to the Honorable Minister of Interior, Federal Republic of Nigeria from Aug 2015- Dec 2017