The Senate has confirmed Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede as Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), along with other service chiefs forwarded for screening by President Bola Tinubu.
The other appointees include Major General Waidi Shaibu as Chief of Army Staff, Rear Admiral Idi Abbas as Chief of Naval Staff, and Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke as Chief of Air Staff.
The upper Chamber unanimously approved the appointments after a session lasting over two hours, presided over by Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Wednesday.
During the screening, the nominees pledged wide-ranging reforms to modernize the Armed Forces, boost troop morale, promote local arms production, harness technology, and enhance cooperation among the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
Oluyede said his leadership would pursue a “technology-driven, self-reliant” defence system aimed at reducing dependence on foreign weapons.
“We cannot continue to rely on foreign suppliers for our weapons. It is economically unsustainable and strategically risky. My focus will be to build a strong local military-industrial base that can produce what we need to defend the nation,” he said.
The General also committed to making intelligence-led, data-driven warfare the foundation of joint operations, while prioritizing welfare, healthcare, housing, and education for soldiers’ families.
Oluyede further called for comprehensive police reform to enable the force to handle internal security, freeing the military to focus on external defence.
Rear Admiral Abbas, the new Chief of Naval Staff, vowed to revamp maritime operations, expand drone surveillance, and strengthen efforts against piracy and oil theft. He opposed the creation of a proposed Coast Guard, noting that the Navy already fulfills its intended role.
“The Navy’s constitutional roles already cover what a Coast Guard would do. What we need is better funding and modern surveillance systems,” he said.
Abbas added that drones have been deployed to monitor remote creeks, and a Special Operations Command was established in Makurdi to enhance patrols along the Benue-Lokoja waterways.
He also called for victim-centered reintegration of repentant militants, saying: “Deradicalisation must include justice and healing.”
On his part, the new Chief of Air Staff, promised to transform the Air Force into a “combat-ready, disciplined, and intelligent” service, leveraging drone technology and rapid-response capabilities.
“Modern warfare is technology-driven. Unmanned aerial systems perform many missions better and safer than manned aircraft. We will invest in them,” he said.
Aneke confirmed that Nigeria’s $1.2 billion Super Tucano aircraft fleet remains operational and crucial to ongoing counter-insurgency operations.
“They are flying every night in the North-East and North-West. Each missile costs about $100,000, the price of peace,” he said.
He pledged to prioritize pilot training, aircraft maintenance, and personnel welfare, while seeking legislative backing for defence technology funding.
Together, the new Service Chiefs outlined a unified vision based on synergy, innovation, and welfare, aimed at securing Nigeria’s land, sea, and airspace.
General Oluyede committed to joint operations with Rear Admiral Abbas to safeguard maritime assets, and with Air Vice Marshal Aneke to maintain air superiority.
All three reaffirmed loyalty to President Tinubu’s defence reform agenda, promising tangible results in the fight against terrorism, banditry, and oil theft.
“We are here to serve. Every naira invested in the military must translate into peace, safety, and pride for Nigerians,” Aneke said.
With their confirmation, the Service Chiefs now form the core of Tinubu’s new security architecture, tasked with restoring stability to the North-East, ending banditry in the North-West, and defending Nigeria’s territorial integrity across all fronts.
