Nigeria must rethink its war strategy, Buratai warns

Tukur Buratai, former Chief of Army Staff, has called for far-reaching reforms of Nigeria’s security, defence and governance architecture, warning that the country must urgently rethink how it organises and deploys its security forces if it is to secure long-term stability and national development.

Buratai made the call on Monday in Abuja while delivering a lecture titled “Securing Nigeria’s Future: The Armed Forces and National Development” at the National Symposium and Lecture Series marking the 2026 Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance Day (AFCRD).

The former army chief and Nigeria’s ex-Ambassador to the Republic of Benin said Nigeria’s armed forces must be repositioned beyond battlefield operations and re-engineered as a strategic driver of national growth, innovation and unity.

He outlined a comprehensive roadmap built around defence reform, policing overhaul, technology investment, veterans’ welfare and regional cooperation, insisting that Nigeria’s current security challenges demanded a “new national security ecosystem”.

Read also: COAS prioritises training, combat readiness in fight against insurgency

At the heart of Buratai’s proposals was a call for the accelerated professionalisation and specialisation of the military, with a renewed focus on high-intensity combat and external defence.

He argued that the military’s continued dominance in routine internal security operations was unsustainable and risked weakening its core war-fighting capabilities.

Instead, he said, internal security should gradually be transferred to a significantly expanded, better equipped and fully professionalised Nigeria Police Force.

Buratai proposed a funded, multi-year national policing plan that would grow police strength to about 1.5 million officers, allowing the military to withdraw from regular domestic law-enforcement duties and concentrate on defending the country against external and high-end security threats.

To bridge the widening technology gap between Nigeria and modern security threats, Buratai proposed the creation of a National Defence Innovation Fund (NDIF) financed through public-private partnerships.

The fund, he said, should support research and development in critical dual-use technologies such as cyber defence, unmanned aerial systems, satellite communications and renewable energy solutions for forward operating bases.

According to him, such an approach would not only strengthen national security but also stimulate growth in Nigeria’s civilian technology sector, ensuring that defence spending translates into broader economic and industrial development.

On human capital development, Buratai called for a fundamental overhaul of Nigeria’s national service system.

He proposed the transformation of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) into a mandatory National Service Scheme with both military and civic tracks, aimed at strengthening national cohesion, improving skills acquisition and instilling a deeper sense of citizenship among young Nigerians.

He also pushed for the passage of a Veterans’ Rights and Transition Act to guarantee timely pensions, access to healthcare, skill-conversion programmes and legal protections for retired military personnel.

According to him, Nigeria could no longer afford to abandon its veterans after service, especially given their experience and potential contribution to national stability.

Buratai further recommended the establishment of permanent Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) directorates within the Ministry of Defence and the service headquarters.

“These structures would formalise collaboration between the military and civilian ministries in post-conflict reconstruction and development, while also preventing mission creep by the armed forces into civilian governance”, He said.

On the external front, Buratai stressed that Nigeria’s security could not be isolated from the stability of West and Central Africa.

He called for deeper cooperation through multilateral platforms such as the Multinational Joint Task Force and the Gulf of Guinea maritime security architecture, noting that transnational threats like terrorism, piracy and arms trafficking required collective responses.

“A balanced blend of defence reform, internal security restructuring and regional collaboration would allow Nigeria to optimise its resources, strengthen national unity and secure a more prosperous future”, Buratai said.

Earlier in his address, Christopher Musa, Minister of Defence, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to building a capable, professional and resilient armed forces.

Musa said the ministry, under the current administration, was prioritising troop welfare, enhanced training, doctrinal refinement and the expansion of indigenous defence production to ensure sustainable long-term security.

He added that ongoing policy and legislative reforms were revitalising local defence industries, encouraging private sector participation, creating jobs and reducing Nigeria’s dependence on foreign military suppliers.

The panel discussion featured former army chiefs Faruk Yahaya, E.A. Wonah and Solomon Agada, with Lamidi Adeosun moderating.

In his contribution, Yahaya said the appointment of Musa as Minister of Defence was a positive step that could accelerate much-needed reforms within the armed forces.

He also supported Buratai’s call for better integration and utilisation of military veterans, saying their experience remained a valuable but under-used asset in addressing Nigeria’s security challenges.

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