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 among Nigeria’s defence, intelligence and security agencies.
Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on
information and strategy, said in a statement on Wednesday that Adeyinka
Famadewa, special adviser on homeland security, would coordinate the
nine-member committee constituted by Tinubu to prepare the strategic defence
operations plan and provide secretariat support.
“Other members of the committee are the National Security
Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu; the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa;
the Minister of State for Defence, Alhaji 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 statement reads.
“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.”
According to Onanuga, the new framework would provide a
common understanding of the threats facing the country, the operational
objectives to be achieved and the capabilities required to address them.
He noted that recent security successes, including the
rescue of pupils and teachers abducted in Oriire LGA of Oyo state, demonstrated
the importance of improved coordination among defence, security and
intelligence agencies.
Onanuga said Tinubu noted that operational requirements are
often considered individually, without sufficient reference to an agreed
national threat assessment or unified medium-term plan.
This, he said, had made coordination more difficult and
limited the efficient deployment of resources.
The presidential spokesperson added that the strategic
defence operations plan would translate the assessment into clear operational
priorities, identifying the forces and capabilities required in each theatre,
existing capability gaps, equipment and support needs, as well as 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,”Onanuga said.
“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.”
Onanuga added that the plan would 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.
He said the president directed George Akume, secretary to
the government of the federation (SGF) and Nuhu Ribadu, the national security
adviser (NSA), to take all necessary steps to give immediate effect to the
directives.
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