The Senate has confirmed Nigeria’s four new service chiefs following marathon screening sessions in Abuja, where each nominee presented an ambitious roadmap for a modern, self-sufficient, and technology-driven armed forces.
President Bola Tinubu had nominated Lt-Gen Olufemi Oluyede, Maj-Gen Waidi Shaibu, Rear Admiral Idi Abbas, and AVM Sunday Aneke as Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), and Chief of Air Staff (CAS), respectively.
During the screening, the nominees outlined complementary agendas centred on local defence manufacturing, inter-service cooperation, troop welfare, and technological innovation.
CDS Oluyede urged investment in a homegrown military industrial complex, warning that dependence on foreign arms was “unsustainable and costly.” He also highlighted emerging threats such as cyber warfare and misinformation, calling for improved welfare to match troops’ sacrifices.
COAS Shaibu vowed to strengthen counter-terrorism operations through technology and intelligence, pledging better living conditions, financial support, healthcare, and education for troops. He also promised to enhance night-fighting capacity, retrain special forces, and expand rehabilitation under Operation Safe Corridor, advocating a “whole-of-society approach” to peacebuilding.
CNS Abbas rejected calls for a separate Coast Guard, arguing that the Navy’s mandate already covers such roles. He said resources should go toward improving platforms and logistics, not new bureaucracies. Abbas announced plans for a Special Operations Command in Makurdi, and prioritised drone and digital surveillance to curb oil theft and piracy while promoting community participation in reintegrating ex-insurgents.
CAS Aneke emphasised adaptability, intellect, and innovation, saying, “The enemy you are fighting went to school. He is as smart as you.” With over 4,300 flying hours, Aneke stressed intelligence integration, inter-service synergy, and cost-efficiency, noting that “security is not a solo effort.”
Senate President Godswill Akpabio commended the nominees’ professionalism and patriotism, saying their shared focus on self-reliance, welfare, and technology marked a new generation of defence leadership.
The confirmed chiefs now face the task of translating their vision into action amid persistent insurgency, cyber threats, oil theft, and limited resources. Their collective goal: a self-reliant, well-equipped, and technologically advanced military united in purpose and adaptable in strategy.
