Federal Government Begins Work on New 5-Year Security Plan

By Victor Idajil

The Federal Government has started a major shake-up of Nigeria’s security architecture and has set up a high-level panel to design a new five-year strategic operations plan.

The committee, inaugurated on Wednesday by Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, on behalf of President Bola Tinubu, has 90 days to submit its recommendations.

President Tinubu said the country urgently needs professionalism and speed in tackling insecurity. He stressed that restoring peace and security cannot wait.

The panel is chaired by the President’s Special Adviser on Homeland Security, Major General Adeyinka Famadewa (rtd). Members include National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, Minister of Defence Gen. Christopher Musa, Minister of State for Defence Bello Matawalle, Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, and all service chiefs. Also on it are the IGP Olatunji Disu, DSS DG Tosin Ajayi, and NIA DG Ambassador Muhammed.

Akume told them to approach the job with professionalism, urgency and patriotism. He said the government will give them full support and can also bring in other ministries and agencies whose expertise may be needed.

According to him, the aim is to build a system where Nigeria’s assessment of threats sets the operational goals, and those goals determine what capabilities, equipment and funding are needed. 

“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.

He noted that right now, operational needs are sometimes handled in isolation, without a shared national threat assessment or a unified plan. That, he said, makes coordination harder and wastes scarce resources.

The proposed plan will run for five years but will be reviewed every year to reflect new threats, technology changes and lessons from ongoing operations. 

A central part of it will be a National Threat Assessment. This will identify what threatens Nigeria, why it matters, how threats may evolve, and what happens if they are not addressed. It will also help the government separate immediate threats that need urgent action from emerging ones that require early investment in intelligence, technology, training and infrastructure.

The committee is expected to define priorities for each operational theatre, list the forces and equipment needed, spot capability gaps, and set procurement priorities based on threats rather than on institutional preferences. It will also propose realistic timelines, monitoring measures, and steps for implementation.

Akume said the plan will cover force development, equipment acquisition, infrastructure, logistics, training, research and development, and efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s defence industry.

Acknowledging recent gains by the military and other agencies, he said Nigeria must move beyond reacting to each crisis. The country needs a framework that anticipates threats, sets priorities, allocates resources properly, and sustains momentum.

“Our military and security personnel continue to demonstrate courage and commitment in defending the country. They deserve a strategic framework that clearly defines their objectives and provides the capabilities, resources and support required to accomplish them,” Akume said.

Responding, Chairman of the committee, Gen. Famadewa, thanked President Tinubu for the opportunity to contribute to national security.