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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.
Tinubu gave the directive on Wednesday at the Federal Executive Council meeting at the State House, stressing the need for a coherent framework to respond to evolving security threats nationwide, according to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
The president said the “new framework would provide a common understanding of the threats facing the nation, the operational objectives to be achieved and the capabilities required to address them.”
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 operation demonstrated what can be achieved when our agencies work together with a clear objective and the necessary intelligence,” the president said.
Tinubu noted that operational requirements were often considered individually, without sufficient reference to an agreed national threat assessment or unified medium-term plan, making coordination harder and limiting the efficient deployment of resources.
According to him, the National Threat Assessment would identify the nation’s main threats, assess their relative urgency, and set operational goals for addressing them.
He added that the Strategic Defence Operations Plan would translate the assessment into specific operational priorities, identifying the forces and capabilities needed in each theatre, as well as any gaps in capability, equipment and support requirements, and a schedule for implementation.
“Under the presidential directive, the committee may also consult or co-opt representatives of other ministries, departments and agencies where their participation is required,” the statement read.
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.
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.
11-member committee constituted
The President’s Special Adviser on Homeland Security, Major General Adeyinka A. Famadewa, will coordinate and provide secretariat support for the 11-member committee constituted to draft the strategic defence operations plan.
Other members include the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa; the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Muhammad Matawalle; the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede; the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Waidi Shaibu; the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke; and the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas.
The Director-General of the Department of State Service, Tosin Ajayi, and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Muhammed Muhammed, are also members of the committee.
