President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the immediate development of a comprehensive national security threat assessment and a five-year strategic defence plan aimed at improving coordination among Nigeria’s military, intelligence and security agencies.
The President issued the directive on Wednesday during the Federal Executive Council meeting at the State House in Abuja, stressing the need for a coordinated and forward-looking approach to the country’s evolving security challenges.
Under the new arrangement, Major General Adeyinka A. Famadewa, the Special Adviser to the President on Homeland Security, will coordinate an 11-member committee responsible for preparing the strategic defence operations plan and providing secretariat support.
The committee includes National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu; Minister of Defence Christopher Musa; Minister of State for Defence Bello Muhammad Matawalle; Chief of Defence Staff General Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu; Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke; and Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Idi Abbas.
Also serving on the committee are the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Tosin Ajayi, and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Muhammed Muhammed.
President Tinubu said the National Threat Assessment would establish a clear picture of the major security threats confronting the country, assess their urgency and provide specific objectives for addressing them.
The accompanying five-year Strategic Defence Operations Plan will then translate those findings into practical military priorities. It is expected to outline the forces and capabilities required across different theatres, identify existing shortcomings, determine equipment and support requirements, and establish a timetable for implementation.
According to the President, the initiative is necessary because security requirements are often addressed separately by individual agencies without being sufficiently linked to a common national threat assessment or a unified medium-term strategy.
He said this fragmented approach could make coordination more difficult and reduce the effectiveness of resource allocation.
Tinubu pointed to the recent rescue of abducted pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State as an example of what can be achieved when security and intelligence agencies operate together around a clearly defined objective and supported by timely intelligence.
The President said the new framework would seek to institutionalise that level of cooperation across Nigeria’s security architecture.
The committee has been authorised to consult or bring in representatives of other ministries, departments and agencies whenever their expertise is required.
Tinubu has given the committee 90 days to complete and submit the National Threat Assessment and Strategic Defence Operations Plan for his consideration and approval.
Once approved, the five-year plan is expected to become the central framework for coordinating Nigeria’s military and defence operations over the medium term.
It will also serve as the foundation for a corresponding multi-year defence expenditure and procurement programme, with government resources directed toward clearly identified operational priorities, capability gaps and critical national security needs.
The President has further directed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Office of the National Security Adviser to take immediate steps to implement the new directives.
Tinubu Orders 5-Year National Security Plan, Directs Fresh Threat Assessment
