SGF charges security chiefs on 90-day National Threat Assessment

By Tolu Temidire

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, has charged members of the Presidential Committee on the National Threat Assessment and Five-Year Strategic Defence Operations Plan to approach their assignment with professionalism, objectivity, urgency and patriotism.

The SGF gave the charge on Wednesday while inaugurating the committee established by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to develop a comprehensive National Threat Assessment and a rolling Five-Year Strategic Defence Operations Plan for Nigeria.

Akume said the committee had been entrusted with an assignment of considerable national importance and must submit both documents within 90 days for the President's consideration and approval.

He said the inauguration marked a major step towards strengthening Nigeria's capacity to understand, anticipate and effectively respond to an increasingly complex and evolving security environment.

According to him, contemporary security threats are increasingly interconnected and adaptive, capable of exploiting gaps between institutions, jurisdictions and operational theatres.

While acknowledging recent successes recorded by the Armed Forces and other security agencies, the SGF said the government must move beyond reacting to individual security challenges and establish a system capable of anticipating threats, setting priorities, allocating resources efficiently and sustaining operational momentum.

He said the proposed framework must ensure that national security objectives were translated into measurable outcomes, stressing that responses by defence, intelligence and security agencies should be anchored on a shared understanding of the country's security environment and a coherent short-, medium- and long-term strategy.

“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,” he said.

The SGF explained that the National Threat Assessment would provide an objective understanding of the country's security landscape, including existing and emerging threats, their implications, possible evolution and appropriate government responses.

He said the Five-Year Strategic Defence Operations Plan would translate the assessment into prioritised operational requirements, identifying the forces, equipment, infrastructure, logistics, intelligence, technology and other capabilities required across operational theatres.

The plan, he added, would identify capability gaps, establish procurement priorities based on assessed threats rather than institutional preferences and provide timelines, responsibilities and measurable indicators for implementation.

Akume said the five-year framework would support force development, capability acquisition, infrastructure, training, maintenance, research and development, as well as the strengthening of Nigeria's defence industrial base. However, he noted that the plan would be reviewed annually to accommodate emerging threats, technological developments and lessons from ongoing operations.

The committee is chaired by the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, and comprises the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd); Minister of State for Defence, Bello Muhammad Matawalle; Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Waidi Shaibu; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke; and Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas.

Other members are the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu; Director-General, Department of State Services, Tosin Ajayi; and Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Muhammed Muhammed.

The committee will be coordinated and supported by the Special Adviser to the President on Homeland Security, Major General Adeyinka A. Famadewa (rtd).

Famadewa, in his closing remarks, thanked President Tinubu for the confidence reposed in the committee members and urged them to work collectively to strengthen Nigeria's security architecture.

He said his role would be to facilitate collaboration and harness the collective expertise of members rather than command the committee, adding that subcommittees would be established to handle specialised areas and ensure completion of the assignment within the 90-day deadline.