Tinubu Appoints Adviser on Homeland Security, Famadewa, Head for 5-year Plan

• C’ttee members include NSA, defence minister, defence chief, service chiefs, DG DSS, DG NIA, has 90 days to submit its report

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu has approved the immediate preparation of a comprehensive National Threat Assessment and a rolling five-year Strategic Defence Operations Plan to strengthen coordination across Nigeria’s defence, intelligence, and security capabilities.

Presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement, disclosed that Special Adviser on Homeland Security to the President, Major-General Adeyinka A. Famadewa, would coordinate and provide secretarial support for a nine-man committee the president constituted to draft the strategic defence operations plan.

Other members of the committee include National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu;  Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa; Minister of State for Defence, Alhaji 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.

Director-General of Department of State Services (DSS), Tosin Ajayi, and Director-General of National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Muhammed Muhammed, are also members.

Tinubu gave the directive yesterday at the Federal Executive Council meeting at State House, Abuja. He stressed the need for a coherent framework to respond to evolving security threats nationwide.

The president said the new framework would provide a common understanding of the threats facing the country, the operational objectives to be achieved, and the capabilities required to address them.

According to him, recent security successes, including the rescue of pupils and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, demonstrated the importance of improved coordination among defence, security, and intelligence agencies.

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

Tinubu stated that operational requirements were currently often considered individually, without sufficient reference to an agreed national threat assessment or unified medium-term plan, making coordination more difficult and limiting the efficient deployment of resources.

He said the National Threat Assessment would identify the principal threats facing the country, determine their relative urgency, and establish operational objectives for addressing them.

The Strategic Defence Operations Plan, he added, would translate the assessment into clear operational priorities, identifying the forces and capabilities required in each theatre, existing capability gaps, equipment and support needs, and an implementation timetable.

Under the presidential directive, the committee may also consult or co-opt representatives of other ministries, departments and agencies where their participation is required.

The president directed the committee to commence work immediately and submit the completed National Threat Assessment and Strategic Defence Operations Plan for his consideration and approval within 90 days.

Once approved, the plan would serve as the principal framework for coordinating military and defence operations over the medium term.

It would also provide the basis for preparing a corresponding multi-year defence expenditure and procurement plan, ensuring that resources are directed towards agreed operational priorities and critical national security requirements.

Tinubu further directed Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, and Office of the National Security Adviser to take all necessary steps to give immediate effect to the directives.