The catalytic formation of C-N bonds between aromatic (pseudo)halides and amines (Buchwald-Hartwig amination) is one of the cornerstone reactions in modern homogeneous catalysis (Fig. ). This simple but challenging disconnection has dramatically impacted our society: from the synthesis of medicines and crop-protection agents to polymers and functional materials. Mechanistic studies over the years in the initial Pd-catalyzed C-N cross-coupling reaction have established the canonical Pd 0 /Pd II catalytic redox cycle (Fig. ). In the >50 years since its discovery, many iterations of ligands mainly P-basedhave appeared, which improved the reactivity for more challenging amines and aryl halides. In recent years, alternatives to canonical Pd catalysis have appeared in the literature, identifying Cu and Ni as one of the most promising alternatives. Yet, the mechanistic framework of M 0 /M II catalytic cycles based on complex phosphine or NHC ligands still dominated (Fig. ). In 2016, Buchwald and MacMillan provided a new platform that permitted facile C-N bond formation merging photoredox and nickel catalysis (Fig. ), avoiding the design and multi-step synthesis of supporting ligands. Whereas in conventional metal-catalyzed C-N coupling reactions the reductive elimination generally occurs from a M II species, in this metallaphotoredox approach the C-N bond is presumably forged from a Ni III intermediate, accessible via photocatalysis. Ni-catalyzed electrochemical approaches were also reported, pioneered by Baran, which complemented and even expanded the scope of opportunities for C-N bond formation with Ni (Fig. ). Many subsequent variants followed, and examples refining and improving the conditions with, or without the use of donating ligands are still at the forefront of the catalysis landscape. Building up on this new mechanistic paradigm, in 2020, Nocera and co-workers reported a Ni-catalyzed protocol that allowed the formation of C-N bonds between electron-deficient aryl bromides and amines through a proposed Ni I /Ni III redox process, without the need of light or a photocatalyst (Fig. ). Similar to the photoredox processes, no additional ligands on the Ni catalyst were required. However, the proof-of-concept study reported by Nocera and co-workers was applied to simple bromoarenes. Importantly, no examples of heterocycles were reported; this is not surprising, as heteroaryl coordination to the metal center could result in poisoning of the catalyst when no exogeneous ligands are present. We hypothesized that this latter approach could be attractive to practitioners if expanded to accommodate heterocycles and various amines. In 1963, Wilke described Ni 0 -olefin complexes such as the air-sensitive Ni(COD)2 as "naked nickel" due to the lability of the coordinated olefins. Herein, we report that a robust, air-stable and commercially available "naked nickel" complex [Ni( 4-tBu stb)3, CAS: 2468315-70-8], developed by our group, is able to catalyze the coupling of heteroaryl bromides with various N-based nucleophiles. Interestingly, C-N bonds can be forged without requiring P-, N-, or NHC-based ligands, and without the use of electro-or photochemical setups.