Tinubu Directs Security Chiefs to Draft 5-Year Defence Plan, Appoints Famadewa Coordinator

ABUJA, NIGERIA — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the immediate drafting of a comprehensive National Threat Assessment and a five-year rolling Strategic Defence Operations Plan to unify Nigeria’s security apparatus.

The President appointed the Special Adviser on Homeland Security, Major General Adeyinka Famadewa, to coordinate the high-powered 11-man committee tasked with developing the strategy.

Coordinated Strategy to Tackle Evolving Threats

President Tinubu issued the directive during Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the State House in Abuja. He emphasized that Nigeria needs a coherent framework to effectively respond to rapidly evolving security challenges.

According to a statement by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, the new framework will establish a shared understanding of national threats, outline clear operational objectives, and pinpoint the exact capabilities required to neutralise them.

The President cited the recent rescue of abducted pupils and teachers in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State as a prime example of what interagency collaboration can achieve.

“The operation demonstrated what can be achieved when our agencies work together with a clear objective and the necessary intelligence,” Tinubu stated.

Key Takeaways

The 5-year Strategic Defence Operations Plan will serve as Nigeria’s primary blueprint for all medium-term military and defence operations.

Addressing Gaps in Defence Spending and Logistics

President Tinubu observed that Nigeria’s operational requirements are currently evaluated in isolation, lacking a unified medium-term pplan, whichlimits resource efficiency and complicates coordination.

The two-pronged strategy therefore aims to fix these vulnerabilities.

It will also identify core security threats, rank their urgency, and set clear response objectives.

Under a strategic defence operations plan, priorities will be assessed, identifying theatre-specific force requirements, capability gaps, and equipment needs.

Once finalized, the blueprint is expected to guide Nigeria’s multi-year defence expenditure and procurement, ensuring budgetary allocations directly fund critical national security priorities rather than isolated agency requests.

Timeline and Full Committee Membership

The President gave the committee a strict 90-day deadline to submit the completed strategy for his approval. The panel has the authority to co-opt representatives from other ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) as required.

The 11-man committee features Nigeria’s top defence, intelligence, and security chiefs. Major General Adeyinka Famadewa – Special Adviser on Homeland Security—will serve as the coordinator. Members include the NSA Nuhu Ribadu, Minister of Defence Christopher Musa, Minister of State for Bello Matawalle, and Chief of Defence Staff General Olufemi Oluyede.

Others are Chief of Army Staff Lt. General Waidi Shaibu, Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, and the DG of SSS Tosin Ajayi.

Also in the committee is DG of NIA Ambassador Muhammed Muhammed.