President Bola Tinubu has directed the immediate development of a comprehensive National Threat Assessment and a rolling five-year Strategic Defence Operations Plan as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s response to evolving security challenges.
The directive was issued on Wednesday during the Federal Executive Council meeting at the State House in Abuja, according to a statement by the President’s media aide, Bayo Onanuga.
Tinubu said Nigeria needs a unified security framework that will improve coordination among the military, intelligence agencies and other security institutions.
11-Member Committee Constituted
The President has constituted an 11-member committee to prepare the strategic defence plan.
The committee will be coordinated by the Special Adviser to the President on Homeland Security, Major General Adeyinka Famadewa, who will also provide secretariat support.
Members include 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.
The Director-General of the Department of State Services, Tosin Ajayi, and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Muhammed Muhammed, are also members.
Focus on Nigeria’s Security Threats
Tinubu said the National Threat Assessment would provide a clearer picture of the major security threats confronting the country, assess their urgency and establish priorities for tackling them.
The President said the proposed five-year defence plan would then translate those priorities into specific operational requirements.
This will include identifying the forces and capabilities needed in different theatres, existing gaps, equipment requirements and support needs, as well as a timetable for implementation.
Tinubu Highlights Importance of Coordination
The President pointed to recent successful security operations, including the rescue of abducted pupils and teachers in Oyo State, as evidence of what can be achieved when security and intelligence agencies operate with better coordination.
He said security requirements have too often been considered separately, without sufficient reference to a common national threat assessment or medium-term strategy.
According to Tinubu, the new framework is intended to make the deployment of personnel and resources more effective while ensuring that national security priorities guide defence spending.
90-Day Deadline
The committee has been instructed to begin work immediately and submit the completed National Threat Assessment and Strategic Defence Operations Plan to the President within 90 days.
Once approved, the plan is expected to become the main framework for coordinating military and defence operations over the medium term.
It will also provide the foundation for a multi-year defence expenditure and procurement programme, allowing government resources to be directed towards identified operational priorities and critical security needs.
Tinubu further directed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Office of the National Security Adviser to take the necessary steps to implement the directive immediately.
