Abuja: The Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa, emphasizes the need for Nigeria’s defence architecture to evolve, addressing threats across land, maritime, air, and cyber domains, while embracing emerging technologies and protecting democratic integrity.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Musa made these remarks on Thursday in Abuja during the opening of the 2nd Policy Colloquium 2026, themed ‘Securing the Frontier: Strategic Defence Architecture, Emerging Technologies and Democratic Integrity in Nigeria.’ He stressed that the current security environment demands renewed strategic thinking, institutional adaptation, and a sustained national commitment.
Musa highlighted that the complexity and changing nature of contemporary threats require continuous reassessment of capabilities, strengthening of preparedness, and staying ahead of developments that could impact national interests. He pointed out that Nigeria’s strategic frontier now includes cyberspace, satellite networks, automated systems, and information ecosystems, beyond just physical borders.
Addressing these challenges, he said, requires a more integrated defence posture supported by effective intelligence coordination, joint operations, and interoperability across the Armed Forces and other relevant security institutions. Musa underlined the decisive role of technology in modern warfare, citing advances in artificial intelligence, unmanned systems, surveillance, reconnaissance, and cyber capabilities as transformative for military operations.
The minister stated that Nigeria must invest in relevant technologies and strengthen its human, doctrinal, and institutional capacity to integrate these advancements into its defence capabilities. He also emphasized the importance of strengthening Nigeria’s defence industrial base to reduce dependence and build local capacity.
Reaffirming President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment, Musa assured that efforts are underway to fortify national security, equip the armed forces, and protect sovereignty and democratic institutions, thereby driving national development.
Special Adviser to the Minister on Media, Leah Katung-Babatunde, also remarked on the shifting definition of Nigeria’s sovereign frontier, which now extends beyond physical borders into cyberspace and information ecosystems. She noted that national defence, once primarily defined by physical borders and kinetic force, now encompasses the digital domain, automated systems, satellite networks, and information ecosystems that sustain civic trust.
Katung-Babatunde stressed the colloquium’s theme as ‘an urgent call to action’ centered on three pillars shaping Nigeria’s stability for decades. As asymmetric and multi-domain security challenges evolve, security institutions require unprecedented agility, inter-agency cohesion, and forward-looking operational doctrines.
She further explained that modern defence must be predictive, integrated, and strategically resilient, leveraging artificial intelligence, cyber infrastructure, geospatial analytics, and autonomous capabilities. However, without clear policy governance, ethical oversight, and local technological depth, these tools could introduce new vulnerabilities. She concluded that Nigeria must transition from being a passive consumer of security technology to an active driver of technological sovereignty.