President Bola Ahmed 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 architecture.
The President gave the directive on Wednesday during the Federal Executive Council meeting at the State House, Abuja.
The President appointed his Special Adviser on Homeland Security, Major General Adeyinka A. Famadewa, to coordinate the process and provide secretariat support for a nine-member committee tasked with drafting the plan.
Members of the committee are:
– 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
– Chief of Naval Staff: Vice Admiral Idi Abbas
– Director-General, Department of State Services: Tosin Ajayi
– Director-General, National Intelligence Agency: Ambassador Muhammed Muhammed
The committee may also consult or co-opt representatives of other ministries, departments and agencies where required.
President Tinubu said the framework is needed to provide a coherent response to evolving security threats nationwide.
According to him, the National Threat Assessment will identify the principal threats facing the country, determine their relative urgency, and establish operational objectives for addressing them.
The Strategic Defence Operations Plan will then translate the assessment into clear operational priorities.
This will include identifying forces and capabilities required in each theatre, existing capability gaps, equipment and support needs, and an implementation timetable.
“The operation demonstrated what can be achieved when our agencies work together with a clear objective and the necessary intelligence,” the President said, referencing the recent rescue of pupils and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
He noted that operational requirements are currently often considered individually, without sufficient reference to an agreed national threat assessment or unified medium-term plan. This, he said, makes coordination more difficult and limits efficient deployment of resources.
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 form the basis for a corresponding multi-year defence expenditure and procurement plan to ensure resources are aligned with agreed priorities and critical national security requirements.
The President further directed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Office of the National Security Adviser to take all necessary steps to give immediate effect to the directives.
