The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd) has described the Nigerian Legion as a critical national institution with a long history of service, sacrifice and patriotism.
He said its relevance can be sustained through deliberate reform, leveling up with modern security and economic realities.
General Christopher Musa stated this during the inauguration of an 18-member committee tasked with reclaiming ungoverned spaces for economic productivity while repositioning the Nigerian Legion Corps of Commissionaires and Veterans as active contributors to national stability, at ministry of Defence Headquarters in Abuja.
The move aims to shift Nigeria’s defence architecture beyond battlefield dominance and to structured deployment of military veterans into national security and development roles, underscoring a strategic recalibration that links security outcomes with socio-economic intervention, veterans’ welfare and community trust building.
Speaking through the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Mr Richard Pheelangwa, the Minister of Defence, retired General Christopher Musa, emphasised that the initiative reflects a broader government commitment.
He said it is to ensure that veterans who served the nation with honour are empowered to live productive and dignified lives after active service, while also contributing meaningfully to national development and internal security.
He noted that while military operations remain indispensable, sustainable peace requires addressing the socio-economic conditions that allow insecurity to thrive, calling for a shift from exclusive reliance on offensive military action to inclusive and people-centred security solutions.
As part of its mandate, the committee is to reposition the veteran community to support national economic development, deploy veterans to secure ungoverned spaces and bring them under effective oversight, and strengthen the operational effectiveness of the Nigerian Legion Corps of Commissionaires to enhance veterans’ reintegration and contribution to national security.
The Minister charged committee members to adopt innovative and forward-looking approaches aligned with contemporary security challenges, noting that structured integration of veterans into security and development initiatives would enhance intelligence gathering, improve local ownership and deepen trust between communities and the state.
Holistic National Strategy
He expressed confidence that the committee’s recommendations would support a holistic national strategy for securing ungoverned spaces while promoting inclusive economic growth and long-term stability.
Membership of the committee cuts across the Joint Services Department of the Ministry, the Nigerian Legion, Defence Headquarters, Defence Intelligence Agency, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force, as well as representatives of the Offices of the Ministers of Defence and State Defence.