The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, has said that only deliberate transformation and innovation can enable the military to retain the operational edge required to secure the nation against terrorist threats.
Oluyede said transformation and innovation have become imperative as the character of warfare continues to evolve, while the operating environment remains volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous.
The CDS spoke at a high-level strategic seminar aimed at consolidating operational effectiveness through innovation, transformation, and enhanced jointness in response to Nigeria’s evolving security landscape.
The seminar, organised by the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN), was themed “Optimising the AFN’s Operational Capabilities through Transformation and Innovation: Issues and Prospects.”
It brought together senior military officers, academics, defence analysts and subject-matter experts to examine practical pathways for strengthening national defence within a whole-of-government approach.
Oluyede described innovation as a critical enabler of operational effectiveness, noting that modern military operations thrive on new ideas that enhance situational awareness, strengthen force protection, improve precision and accelerate decision-making cycles.
He stressed that all transformation initiatives must remain firmly anchored on the CDS Military Strategic Philosophy, which seeks to consolidate the capabilities of the AFN through enhanced jointness, a reinforced operational posture, improved welfare, and sound administration, all aimed at safeguarding Nigeria’s sovereignty and prosperity.
The Defence Chief identified key challenges confronting the AFN to include limited domestic defence production capacity, gaps in emerging technologies, and funding constraints amid competing national priorities.
He, however, expressed confidence that prospects for sustainable transformation remain strong, given the commitment of personnel and the increasing institutional focus on innovation.
Earlier, the Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, Defence Headquarters, AVM Jeff Adidun Ekwuribe, who represented the Chief of Defence Transformation and Innovation, underscored the urgency of institutional adaptation in the face of emerging and asymmetric threats.
Ekwuribe noted that as the Armed Forces continue to operate across multiple theatres characterised by increasing complexity, it has become imperative for operational methods, systems and doctrines to evolve at a pace faster than that of adversaries.
He urged participants to focus discussions on improving joint operational coordination, strengthening intelligence capabilities, modernising logistics frameworks and accelerating digital transformation across the services to achieve sustainable operational effectiveness.
One of the resource persons at the seminar, Prof. Ehiz Odigie-Okpataku, emphasised that technology alone is insufficient to drive military efficiency without a clear strategic vision, sound doctrine and comprehensive institutional reforms.
Odigie-Okpataku advocated the development of a long-term defence transformation strategy that embeds innovation as a core operational priority, and called for stronger partnerships between the military, academic institutions, the private sector, as well as regional and international security organisations.
