The Honourable Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has underscored the importance of strategic defence management as a crucial instrument for safeguarding national sovereignty, maintaining peace, and fostering socio-economic development. In a statement, Minister Badaru said effective strategic defence management is essential not only for preserving sovereignty and peace but also for driving socio-economic progress.

Badaru Abubakar made this assertion while delivering a lecture titled “Strategic Defence Management in Nigeria: Ministry of Defence in Perspective” at the National Defence Academy Course 33 in Abuja. He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for prioritizing security development in Nigeria. Minister Badaru emphasized the complexity of Nigeria’s current security environment, characterized by the interplay of various actors, including state forces, insurgents, civil society, the media, and foreign interests.

The Minister highlighted the impact of regional instability in the Sahel and Nigeria’s leadership role within ECOWAS and the African Union in shaping national defence policies. “With a population exceeding 200 million and a dynamic economy, Nigeria is confronting a wide array of security threats, including insurgency in the North-East, banditry and communal violence in the North-West and North-Central, secessionist movements and oil theft in the South, as well as maritime insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea,” Badaru noted.

Badaru praised President Tinubu’s administration for recognizing the strong connection between national security and development. He noted ongoing reforms aimed at recalibrating Nigeria’s security architecture through capacity building, military modernization, and investment in local defence production.

The Minister reaffirmed the Ministry of Defence’s commitment to enhancing operational efficiency, strengthening transparency, and promoting multi-sectoral partnerships. “We advocate for a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to security, integrating military, economic, and diplomatic strategies to safeguard Nigeria’s territorial integrity and protect citizens from internal and external threats,” Badaru said.

The Commandant of the National Defence College, Rear Admiral James Ohimai Okosun, expressed gratitude to Minister Badaru for delivering a timely and insightful lecture, describing it as essential for shaping the future of military leadership.