By Kazeem Ugbodaga
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the immediate development of a five-year Strategic Defence Operations Plan and a comprehensive National Threat Assessment to give Nigeria a unified response to its evolving security challenges.
The directive was issued on Wednesday during the Federal Executive Council meeting at the State House, Abuja, with the President stressing the need for tighter coordination among the military, intelligence and other security agencies.
Tinubu appointed his Special Adviser on Homeland Security, Major General Adeyinka A. Famadewa, to coordinate and provide secretariat support for an 11-member committee responsible for producing the strategic documents.
The committee comprises the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa; Minister of State for Defence, Alhaji Bello Muhammad Matawalle; Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Waidi Shaibu; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke; and Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas.
Also serving on the committee are the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Tosin Ajayi, and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Muhammed Muhammed.
Tinubu said the framework would establish a common assessment of the threats confronting the country, define operational objectives and identify the capabilities required to tackle them.
He cited recent security successes, including the rescue of pupils and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, as evidence of what could be achieved through effective coordination.
“The operation demonstrated what can be achieved when our agencies work together with a clear objective and the necessary intelligence,” the President said.
He noted that security requirements were often addressed individually without sufficient reference to a shared national threat assessment or a unified medium-term strategy.
According to Tinubu, this approach complicates coordination and can result in inefficient deployment of resources.
The National Threat Assessment will identify Nigeria’s principal security threats, rank them according to urgency and establish operational objectives for addressing them.
The five-year Strategic Defence Operations Plan will then translate those findings into specific priorities, including the forces and capabilities required in different theatres, existing gaps, equipment and logistical needs, and a timetable for implementation.
The committee may consult or co-opt officials from other ministries, departments and agencies where necessary.
Tinubu directed the committee to begin work immediately and submit both documents for his consideration and approval within 90 days.
Once approved, the Strategic Defence Operations Plan will become the principal framework for coordinating military and defence operations over the medium term.
It will also provide the basis for a corresponding multi-year defence expenditure and procurement plan, with resources aligned to clearly established operational priorities and national security requirements.
The President directed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Office of the National Security Adviser to take all necessary steps to implement the directive without delay.
