The Armed Forces of Nigeria have moved to recalibrate their operational posture, placing innovation, transformation and joint operations at the centre of efforts to confront Nigeria’s increasingly complex security environment.
Zig Diaries Defence
Date: Wednesday, 17 December 2025
Time: 16:36 WAT
Location: 📍 Abuja, Nigeria
This focus came to the fore on Tuesday as the Armed Forces of Nigeria commenced a high level strategic seminar designed to strengthen operational effectiveness through enhanced jointness and adaptive military thinking.
The seminar, themed “Optimising the AFN’s Operational Capabilities through Transformation and Innovation: Issues and Prospects,” brought together senior military officers, defence scholars, analysts and subject matter experts to examine practical pathways for strengthening national defence within a whole of government framework.
According to a statement by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Olatubonsun Oluyede, Armed Forces Medal, the volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous nature of the contemporary operating environment makes deliberate transformation and sustained innovation no longer optional, but essential to military success.
“As the character of warfare continues to evolve and the operating environment remains volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous, it is only through deliberate transformation and innovation that we can retain the operational edge required to secure our dear nation,” the Defence Chief said.
General Oluyede described innovation as a critical enabler of operational effectiveness, noting that modern military operations depend on new ideas that enhance situational awareness, improve force protection, increase precision and accelerate decision making across theatres of operation.
He stressed that all transformation efforts must remain anchored on the CDS Military Strategic Philosophy, which focuses on consolidating AFN capabilities through enhanced jointness, strengthened operational posture, improved welfare and sound administration, all directed at safeguarding Nigeria’s sovereignty and prosperity.
The Defence Chief identified challenges confronting the Armed Forces, including limited domestic defence production capacity, gaps in emerging technologies and funding pressures amid competing national priorities. He however expressed confidence that the prospects for sustainable transformation remain strong, driven by personnel commitment and growing institutional focus on innovation.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Director of Monitoring and Evaluation at Defence Headquarters, Air Vice Marshal Jeff Adidun Ekwuribe, who represented the Chief of Defence Transformation and Innovation, highlighted the urgency of institutional adaptation as asymmetric and emerging threats continue to evolve.
He noted that operating across multiple theatres with increasing complexity requires operational methods, systems and doctrines to evolve faster than adversaries, charging participants to focus discussions on improving joint operational coordination, strengthening intelligence capabilities, modernising logistics frameworks and accelerating digital transformation across the services.
Also contributing to the discourse, resource person Professor Ehiz Odigie-Okpataku warned that technology alone cannot deliver military efficiency without a clear strategic vision, sound doctrine and comprehensive institutional reforms.
She called for the development of a long term defence transformation strategy that embeds innovation as a core operational priority, while advocating stronger partnerships between the military, academic institutions, the private sector and regional and international security bodies.
The seminar reaffirmed the Armed Forces of Nigeria’s commitment to transformation, jointness and innovation as essential pillars for sustaining national security, operational excellence and strategic relevance in a rapidly evolving threat environment.
🏷️ Tags: Armed Forces of Nigeria, defence transformation, joint operations, military innovation, CDS Oluyede, national security
#ZigDiariesDefence #ArmedForcesOfNigeria #MilitaryInnovation #JointOperations #NationalSecurity
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