Tinubu orders five-year defence plan to counter Nigeria’s security threats

President Bola Tinubu has approved the immediate preparation of a comprehensive National Threat Assessment and a rolling five-year Strategic Defence Operations Plan to strengthen coordination across Nigeria’s defence, intelligence and security capabilities.

Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, said the President directed Adeyinka Famadewa, his Special Adviser on Homeland Security, to coordinate and provide secretariat support for the 11-man committee the President constituted to draft the strategic defence operations plan.

According to Onanuga, the committee which includes Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser, also has Christopher Musa, the Minister of Defence, Bello Matawalle, Minister of State for Defence;.

“Others are the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede; the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.

President Tinubu gave the directive on Wednesday at the Federal Executive Council meeting at the State House, Abuja, stressing the need for a coherent framework to respond to evolving security threats nationwide.

According to him, recent security successes, including the rescue of pupils and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, demonstrated the importance of improved coordination among defence, security and intelligence agencies.

The president said operational requirements were currently often considered individually, without sufficient reference to an agreed national threat assessment or unified medium-term plan, making coordination more difficult and limiting the efficient deployment of resources.

He said the National Threat Assessment would identify the principal threats facing the country, determine their relative urgency and establish operational objectives for addressing them.

The Strategic Defence Operations Plan, he added, would translate the assessment into clear operational priorities, identifying the forces and capabilities required in each theatre, existing capability gaps, equipment and support needs, and an implementation timetable.

Under the presidential directive, the committee may also consult or co-opt representatives of other ministries, departments and agencies where their participation is required.

President Tinubu directed the committee to commence work immediately and submit the completed National Threat Assessment and Strategic Defence Operations Plan for his consideration and approval within 90 days.

Once approved, the plan will serve as the principal framework for coordinating military and defence operations over the medium term.

It will also provide the basis for preparing a corresponding multi-year defence expenditure and procurement plan, ensuring that resources are directed towards agreed operational priorities and critical national security requirements.