President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed 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.
The President gave the directive on Wednesday at the Federal Executive Council meeting at the State House, Abuja, stressing the need for a coordinated approach to addressing the country’s evolving security threats.
Tinubu 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.”
The directive follows recent security successes, including the rescue of pupils and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
“The operation demonstrated what can be achieved when our agencies work together with a clear objective and the necessary intelligence,” the President said.
He said operational requirements were often considered individually without sufficient reference to an agreed national threat assessment or unified medium-term plan.
“This makes coordination more difficult and limits the efficient deployment of resources,” Tinubu said.
According to the President, the National Threat Assessment would identify “the principal threats facing the country,” determine their relative urgency and establish operational objectives for tackling them.
He explained that the Strategic Defence Operations Plan would translate the assessment into “clear operational priorities,” including the forces and capabilities required in each theatre, existing capability gaps, equipment and support needs, and an implementation timetable.
To coordinate the process, President Tinubu appointed his Special Adviser on Homeland Security, Major General Adeyinka A. Famadewa, to coordinate and provide secretariat support for the nine-member committee established to prepare the plan.
Other members are the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu; Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa; Minister of State for Defence, 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 of the Department of State Services, Tosin Ajayi; and Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Muhammed Muhammed.
The President directed the committee to commence work immediately and submit the completed National Threat Assessment and Strategic Defence Operations Plan 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 a corresponding multi-year defence expenditure and procurement plan, ensuring that resources are directed towards “agreed operational priorities and critical national security requirements.”
The committee may consult or co-opt representatives of other ministries, departments and agencies where their participation is considered necessary.
President Tinubu 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.