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| Image: Defense Minister, Badaru Abubakar. |
By Muhammad Salisu
Nigeria's Defense Minister, Badaru Abubakar, has called for a multi-faceted approach to safeguard the country's territorial integrity and protect its citizens from internal and external threats.
The Minister made the call while delivering a lecture titled “Strategic Defence Management in Nigeria: Ministry of Defence in Perspective” to the Participants of the National Defence Academy Course 33, on Thursday.
According to a statement made available to newsmen by the Personal Assistant to the Minister on Media and Publicity, Mr. Mati Ali, Badaru emphasized that Nigeria's current security environment is increasingly complex, marked by multiple actors, including state forces, insurgents, civil society, the media, and foreign interests.
The minister described strategic defence management as a vital tool not only for preserving sovereignty and peace but also for ensuring socioeconomic progress. "With a population of over 200 million and a large, dynamic economy, Nigeria is actively tackling a wide spectrum of threats," he said.
He noted further that "some of the threats facing the country include insurgency in the North-East, banditry and communal violence in the North-West and North-Central, secessionist movements and oil theft in the South, as well as maritime insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea."
However, Badaru stressed the influence of regional instability in the Sahel and Nigeria's leadership role in ECOWAS and the African Union in shaping national defence policies and commended the administration of President Bola Tinubu for recognizing the strong linkage between national security and development.
Also, the minister cited ongoing reforms aimed at recalibrating the nation's security architecture through capacity building, military modernisation, and investment in local defence production, saying that "the success of these reforms depends significantly on the effectiveness of the Ministry of Defence as the apex body for military oversight and strategic coordination."
Moreso, Badaru explained that the Ministry of Defence is tasked with formulating and executing the National Defence Policy, ensuring readiness of the Armed Forces, and driving strategic initiatives that integrate defence planning, policy, and resource management.
The minister highlighted the Ministry's ongoing efforts to enhance operational efficiency, strengthen transparency, and promote multi-sectoral partnerships and reiterated that efficient defence management must be grounded in forward-looking frameworks and guided by both national interest and global realities.
Earlier, the Commandant of the National Defence College, Rear Admiral James Ohimai Okosun, thanked the minister for delivering a timely and insightful lecture, describing it as vital to shaping future military leaders.
The commandant also praised the Ministry's ongoing reforms under the minister's leadership, noting they are setting new standards in defence governance and institutional efficiency.
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