•Sets up 9-member high-powered committee to draft unified military blueprint
•Demands comprehensive National Threat Assessment within 90 days
•Security spending, procurement to be tied to new inter-agency framework
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the immediate formulation of a comprehensive National Threat Assessment and a rolling five-year Strategic Defence Operations Plan.
The President gave the directive on Wednesday during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the State House, Abuja. He emphasized the urgent need for a coordinated, intelligence-led framework to address the country’s rapidly evolving security challenges.
The initiative aims to eliminate inter-agency rivalry, streamline military operations, and ensure that defense spending is strictly aligned with identified national priorities.
A Unified Security Strategy**
According to a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, the new framework is designed to establish a common understanding of the security threats confronting Nigeria. It will define the operational objectives required to neutralize these threats and outline the specific capabilities needed by the armed forces and intelligence agencies to achieve them.
President Tinubu observed that, historically, security agencies have operated in silos, addressing operational requirements individually without sufficient reference to a unified national strategy.
“Operational requirements have often been considered in isolation,” the President remarked. “This lack of synergy makes coordination more difficult and limits the effective deployment of our national security resources.”
Tinubu cited the recent successful rescue of abducted pupils and teachers in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State as a prime example of what can be achieved through seamless inter-agency cooperation.
“That operation demonstrated what is possible when our security agencies work together with a clear, shared objective and the necessary intelligence support,” he added.
The Nine-Member Committee
To execute the directive, the President has constituted a high-powered, nine-member committee composed of the nation’s top defense, intelligence, and security chiefs.
The committee is coordinated by the Special Adviser to the President on Homeland Security, Major General Adeyinka A. Famadewa, who will also provide secretariat support.
Other members of the strategic committee include: Tosin Ajayi, Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, National Security Adviser (NSA)
General Christopher Musa, Minister of Defence
Bello Muhammad Matawalle Minister of State for Defence
General Olufemi Oluyede, Chief of Defence Staff
Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, Chief of Army Staff
Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, Chief of Air Staff
Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, Chief of Naval Staff
Ambassador Muhammed Muhammed,Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA)
The committee has also been granted the authority to consult or co-opt representatives from other ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) as the need arises.
Translating Strategy to Action
The committee’s immediate task is twofold: developing the National Threat Assessment and drafting the five-year Strategic Defence Operations Plan.
The National Threat Assessment will identify and rank the principal internal and external threats facing the country, assessing their urgency.
The Strategic Defence Operations Plan
will translate these assessments into concrete military priorities. It will identify the exact forces and capabilities required in different theaters of operation—such as the counter-insurgency fight in the Northeast and the anti-banditry operations in the Northwest. Additionally, the plan will highlight existing capability gaps, outline equipment and support requirements, and establish a clear implementation timeline.
Crucially, once approved, the five-year plan will serve as the foundation for a multi-year defense expenditure and procurement blueprint. This is expected to curb wasteful spending, prevent the duplication of hardware purchases by different branches of the military, and ensure that public funds are directed only toward critical operational needs.
The 90-Day Deadline
President Tinubu has directed the committee to commence work immediately and submit the completed documents for his consideration and approval within 90 days.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) have been instructed to take all necessary steps to ensure the immediate implementation of the directive.
Security analysts have welcomed the move, noting that a structured, five-year plan could provide the strategic continuity Nigeria’s military has lacked in its decades-long battle against non-state armed groups. With the clock ticking on the 90-day deadline, all eyes will be on the Famadewa-led committee to deliver a blueprint capable of restoring peace across the federation.
