President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has given the Presidential Committee on National Threat Assessment and Five-Year Strategic Defence Operations Plan 90 days to produce a comprehensive assessment of Nigeria’s security threats and a medium-term defence strategy.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, inaugurated the committee on Wednesday and charged members to approach the assignment with professionalism, objectivity, urgency and patriotism.
Akume described the committee’s mandate as a national priority, stressing that its work must strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to anticipate, plan for and respond effectively to both existing and emerging security threats.
He said the inauguration represented a significant step towards improving the country’s response to an increasingly complex and interconnected security environment.
According to him, contemporary security threats are becoming more adaptive and often exploit institutional gaps, jurisdictional weaknesses and inadequate coordination among security agencies and operational theatres.
While acknowledging the successes recorded by the Armed Forces and other security agencies, the SGF said Nigeria must move beyond reacting to individual security incidents to developing a system capable of anticipating threats, setting priorities, deploying resources efficiently and sustaining operational gains.
He said the proposed framework should ensure that national security objectives are translated into measurable outcomes.
Akume explained that while defence, intelligence and security chiefs must retain the flexibility to respond to immediate threats, their operations should be guided by a shared understanding of the national security environment and a coherent short-, medium- and long-term strategy.
He noted that operational requirements were sometimes considered independently, without adequate reference to a common national threat assessment, clearly defined objectives or a unified capability plan.
Such an approach, he said, could undermine inter-agency coordination and result in inefficient use of limited resources.
The SGF said the committee was therefore established to create a system where assessed threats determine operational objectives, while those objectives define the military and security capabilities required.
He added that the identified capability requirements would subsequently guide expenditure, procurement, force development and defence-industrial priorities.
“In simple terms, we must establish a clear path from threat to objective, from objective to capability, from capability to resource, and from resource to measurable outcome,” Akume said.
The SGF said the National Threat Assessment would provide government with a comprehensive and objective analysis of the threats confronting the country, their significance, possible evolution and the consequences of failing to address them.
He said the assessment would also recommend appropriate government responses and provide a common planning framework for the Armed Forces, intelligence services and other security agencies.
According to him, the assessment should enable government to distinguish between immediate threats requiring urgent action and emerging challenges that demand early investments in intelligence, technology, infrastructure, training, doctrine and other capabilities.
The Five-Year Strategic Defence Operations Plan, he added, would translate the findings of the threat assessment into practical and prioritised operational requirements.
The plan is expected to establish objectives for each operational theatre and identify the personnel, equipment, logistics, intelligence, technology, infrastructure and other resources needed to achieve them.
It will also identify existing capability gaps, rank priorities based on the severity and urgency of threats and establish realistic implementation timelines.
Akume said the document must clearly indicate what is required, when it is needed, why it is needed, who is responsible for delivering it and how implementation would be assessed.
He said the five-year framework would provide the medium-term horizon required for force development, acquisition of capabilities, infrastructure expansion, personnel training, equipment maintenance, research and development and strengthening of Nigeria’s defence-industrial base.
The plan, he added, would operate on a rolling basis and be reviewed annually to reflect emerging threats, technological changes, evolving operational conditions and lessons from ongoing security operations.
Committee’s Terms of Reference
The committee is expected to examine Nigeria’s major existing and emerging security threats and determine their urgency and implications for the nation.
It will also define operational priorities for each theatre, identify capability gaps and determine requirements for personnel, equipment, logistics, infrastructure, technology and operational support.
The committee is further mandated to recommend procurement priorities based on assessed threats and operational requirements rather than institutional preferences.
Its responsibilities also include developing implementation measures and realistic timelines, establishing mechanisms for monitoring progress and evaluating outcomes, and making recommendations necessary for the effective implementation of the defence plan.
Akume stressed that military and security personnel who continue to demonstrate courage and commitment in defending the country deserved a strategic framework that clearly defines their objectives and provides the resources and capabilities required to accomplish their missions.
The SGF assured the committee of the full support and cooperation of his office throughout the assignment.
He disclosed that the committee had also been authorised to consult or co-opt representatives of relevant ministries, departments and agencies where specialised expertise was required.
The Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Homeland Security, headed by Major General Adeyinka Famadewa (rtd), will coordinate the committee’s activities and provide administrative support.
Membership
Members of the committee include the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd); Minister of State for Defence, Bello Muhammad Matawalle; and Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede.
Others are the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas; Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu; Director-General of the Department of State Services, Tosin Ajayi; and Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Muhammed Muhammed.
In his closing remarks, Famadewa thanked President Tinubu for the confidence reposed in the committee and the opportunity to contribute to strengthening Nigeria’s security and national well-being.
He urged members to work collectively towards improving the country’s security architecture, describing the assignment as a shared national responsibility.
Famadewa said his role was not to command the members but to facilitate cooperation and harness their collective expertise to achieve the objectives set by the President.
He disclosed that specialised subcommittees would be established to divide the workload, allow members to focus on specific areas and ensure that the assignment is completed within the stipulated 90-day deadline.
