Nigeria’s newly appointed Service Chiefs on Wednesday pledged to overhaul the nation’s security architecture through strategic foreign partnerships, local arms production, inter-agency collaboration, and improved personnel welfare.
They made the pledge on Wednesday during their screening exercise by the Senate and House of Representatives.
The screening, which held simultaneously at both chambers of the National Assembly, was marked by rigorous questioning, closed-door sessions, and commitments by the officers to reposition the armed forces for modern warfare and sustained internal security.
Appearing before members of the Senate and House Committees on Defence, Army, Navy and Air Force, Chief of Defence Staff, Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, said his years of exposure to national security issues had prepared him for the complex task of defending Nigeria.
“My exposure to national security issues and the responsibilities of senior military leadership has prepared me for this assignment,” Oluyede said.
“I will work to bring positive change to our military economy and optimise our operational design and tactics. This is a period for unity, strong bilateral and multilateral partnerships, and fairness across all services.”
The Defence Chief also called for the establishment of a local military-industrial complex to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on foreign arms procurement.
“We can’t keep buying equipment from outside; it’s extremely expensive. Nigeria must develop its capacity to produce the tools needed to prosecute wars and tackle insecurity,” he said, adding that he would prioritise the welfare of personnel and their families while strengthening collaboration with the legislature to secure adequate funding.
Oluyede, who emphasised the need for intelligence-led operations and restructuring of the police to handle internal duties, also warned against new threats such as cyber warfare and misinformation.
He told lawmakers: “This role is challenging and all-consuming. We will focus on local solutions while strengthening international partnerships to eliminate insurgency and restore peace nationwide.”
The Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen. Waidi Shuaibu, pledged to inject fresh energy into military operations, improve intelligence gathering and strengthen manpower.
“Under my command we were able to rescue 15 Chibok girls from terrorist enclaves and neutralise a number of terrorist commanders,” Shuaibu recalled. “I am determined to bring renewed rigour into our training and ensure our troops are prepared for the roles ahead.”
Senator Isah Jubrin (Kogi East) vouched for Shuaibu’s competence, describing him as “humble and serious-minded,” and said, “I believe he has what it takes to move Nigeria out of the challenges the country is experiencing today.”
The Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Idi Abas, promised to deploy modern technology, including drones, to enhance maritime surveillance and curb piracy, oil theft, and kidnapping.
“With the appointments and experiences I have had, I understand what it takes to move the Navy forward,” Abas said. “Some patrols waste resources due to terrain challenges. Drones will make our monitoring more effective.”
He also backed the deradicalisation of repentant insurgents but urged greater sensitivity to the feelings of victims’ families.
For the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Kennedy Aneke, innovation and discipline would define his leadership.
He vowed to “fight smartly, professionally, aggressively, and offensively” to defeat terrorism and insurgency.
“We have men and women risking their lives every night. These assets are giving value for money,” he said, assuring that the Super Tucano aircraft procured from the United States were fully operational and deployed in the North-East and North-West.
“Every decision I make will be guided by the singular purpose of safeguarding our nation and preserving peace,” Aneke said.
Earlier while declaring the Senate screening open, President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, said the screening was a constitutional duty to ensure that only competent and patriotic officers were entrusted with safeguarding national security.
“Today’s exercise is in keeping with our constitutional duty to provide oversight and ensure that only the most competent, patriotic, and disciplined officers are entrusted with the task of safeguarding our national security and territorial integrity,” Akpabio stated.
He later told reporters that the Senate had grilled the nominees thoroughly during the closed session.
“They have answered all questions in the course of the interactions. Let me also thank the President for the selection of the nominees who have been so approved and confirmed by this chamber. On the whole, we believe this will renew the hope of Nigerians in respect of restoring security to our nation,” he said.
In the House, Chairman of the Defence Committee, Babajimi Benson, described the screening as a constitutional process designed to ensure transparency and accountability.
“This process is not merely ceremonial. It is a critical mechanism for ensuring accountability, transparency and public confidence in our national security institutions,” Benson said. “Approach this engagement with openness and clarity. Present practical ideas that will contribute to national peace and stability.”
Meanwhile, President Tinubu will today decorate the new Service Chiefs at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Presidency officials confirmed that the event would hold at 1:00 p.m., following their confirmation by both chambers of the National Assembly.
Tinubu had on Monday met the officers in a closed-door session at the Villa, where he charged them to take decisive action against insurgents and bandits in the North.
Last Friday, the President announced a sweeping reshuffle in the military hierarchy “in furtherance of efforts to strengthen the national security architecture.”
The statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, expressed appreciation to the outgoing service chiefs and charged their successors to justify the confidence reposed in them through professionalism and unity.
The reshuffle came days after online reports alleging a coup plot, which the Defence Headquarters dismissed as “baseless” and “intended to cause unnecessary tension.”
Director of Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Tukur Gusau, clarified that the reported arrests of 16 officers were “issues of indiscipline,” not an attempted coup, and that the cancellation of the October 1 military parade was “purely administrative.”
With legislative confirmation concluded, all eyes are now on the new military high command as they assume their posts—tasked with the herculean mission of restoring peace and stability to a nation wearied by years of insurgency, banditry, and rising insecurity.
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