President Bola Tinubu has ordered the swift development of a detailed National Threat Assessment and a rolling five-year Strategic Defence Operations Plan, aiming to bolster Nigeria’s response to evolving security challenges.
This order was given on Wednesday at the Federal Executive Council meeting in the State House, Abuja, as stated by the President’s media aide, Bayo Onanuga.
Tinubu emphasized the need for a unified security framework to enhance coordination among the military, intelligence agencies, and other security institutions in Nigeria.
An 11-member committee has been established to draft the strategic defense plan. This committee will be coordinated by Major General Adeyinka Famadewa, the Special Adviser to the President on Homeland Security, who will also support the secretariat.
The committee’s membership includes National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu; Defence Minister Christopher Musa; Minister of State for Defence Bello Muhammad Matawalle; Chief of Defence Staff General Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu; Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke; and Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Idi Abbas.
Tosin Ajayi, Director-General of the Department of State Services, and Ambassador Muhammed Muhammed, Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, are also part of this team.
According to Tinubu, the National Threat Assessment will clarify the primary security threats facing the nation, addressing their urgency and setting priorities for action. The proposed five-year defense plan will then convert these priorities into concrete operational needs, detailing necessary forces and capabilities across various regions, identifying existing gaps, equipment requirements, and timelines for implementation.
The President highlighted recent successful security operations, like the rescue of kidnapped pupils and teachers in Oyo State, as examples of achievements with enhanced coordination between security and intelligence agencies. He noted that security needs have often been addressed in isolation without a unified national threat assessment or strategic plan. The new framework aims to make resource deployment more effective by aligning national security priorities with defense spending.
The committee has a 90-day deadline to begin work and submit the finalized National Threat Assessment and Strategic Defence Operations Plan to the President. Once approved, this plan is expected to serve as the primary framework for coordinating military and defense operations over the medium term. It will also establish the groundwork for a multi-year defense expenditure and procurement program, directing government resources towards identified operational priorities and critical security needs.
Tinubu instructed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Office of the National Security Adviser to take immediate action to implement these directives.
