The Nigerian Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has called on Field Commanders to continually reassess and enhance their strategies to effectively counter emerging security threats across the country.
The directive came during the closing ceremony of the Chief of Defence Staff Joint Task Force Commanders Conference 2025 in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. The theme of the conference was “Enhancing Jointness Across all Theatres of Operation.”
According to General Musa, the commanders must understand the enormity of the task ahead and be innovative, adapting to the changing environment.
“They should embrace new technologies, foster a culture of innovation, and promote a learning mindset, which are essential for maintaining their operational edge,” he said.
Personnel Welfare and Community Engagement
The Defence Chief emphasised the importance of prioritising the welfare and professional development of personnel, stating that they are the military’s “greatest asset.”
He urged the commanders to ensure the well-being of their troops, provide them with necessary resources, and create an environment that nurtures their growth and development.
Addressing the need for building and maintaining strong relationships with the communities they serve, General Musa stressed that the trust and support of the local population are critical in their efforts to address the security challenges.
“You must continue to engage with community leaders, religious leaders and other stakeholders in order to address their grievances collaboratively and decisively.
“By doing so, we gain valuable insights, foster cooperation and build resilient communities that would be capable of securing their own futures,” he added.
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Strategic Approaches to Security Operations
The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, highlighted the importance of a multifaceted approach, emphasising that a solely kinetic approach cannot achieve the desired end-state in counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations.
He emphasised the need for Task Force Commanders to explore non-kinetic approaches and engage with the local population to enable socio-economic development and activities in conjunction with civil authorities.
Similarly, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, acknowledged the evolving nature of security threats, noting that irregular warfare requires a comprehensive approach involving all elements of national power, particularly economic and military components.
According to him, the best approach is the joint force approach and that’s why they have the greatest joint task forces all over the country tackling the same threat and the Nigerian Navy has keyed into that approach.
“We keyed into that approach by showing that our strategy of operations, which is called the Total Spectrum Management Strategy, is captured in such a way that it covers the entire spectrum of this country, including land cooperation,” he said.
Call for Joint Efforts in National Security
The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, represented by Air Vice Marshal Francis Edosa, reaffirmed the importance of seamless integration between all military branches and government agencies in achieving national security goals.
“We are all stakeholders, all Nigerians have roles to play, it’s very important and for the military, as has been said, we only have 20% contribution. And for that 20%, we need to think about how we achieve that.
“While we are awaiting or we are advocating for the strategic level players to also be fully committed to achieving these objectives, we need to fight now. And if we need to fight now, we fight with what we have,” he stated.
The conference’s keynote speaker, former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Oluseyin Petirin (retired), reiterated the need for a joint and collaborative effort involving not only the military but also other government agencies and the broader society.
“It is in that jointness and working together as a society that we will make progress and we will have a lot of time for development instead of running after each other,” Petirin stated.
As the conference concluded, the Defence Headquarters pledged continued investment in training, welfare, and the provision of necessary resources to ensure the effectiveness of security operations across Nigeria.
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