Insecurity: Military seeks partnership with industry, academia to boost innovation

The military high command has called for stronger collaboration with academic institutions, industry players and other stakeholders to advance indigenous research and development in Nigeria’s defence sector.

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede, made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at the Fourth Quarter Defence Headquarters and Services Departments/Branches Directorate of Transformation Seminar.

He was represented by the Director of Search and Rescue, Air Vice Marshal Idi Sani.

Oluyede said modern battlefields are increasingly shaped by manned systems, artificial intelligence, space-based technologies, data analytics, robotics and autonomous platforms, making innovation and transformation imperative.

“To remain competitive and relevant, the Armed Forces of Nigeria must prioritise indigenous research and development, strengthen partnerships with academia and industry, and invest in capacity-building initiatives that equip personnel with skills required for future warfare,” he said.

He added that the evolving nature of warfare, characterised by volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous environments, has made transformation an operational necessity rather than an option.

According to him, the intersection of conventional and non-conventional threats—ranging from terrorism and insurgency to cyber warfare and information operations—demands an armed forces that is agile, adaptive and forward-looking.

The CDS noted that maintaining operational superiority would require continuous review of doctrines, modernisation of platforms, expansion of capabilities and integration of emerging technologies into military operations.

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