The Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, has reaffirmed the Armed Forces of Nigeria’s commitment to a collective, people-centred, and preventive security strategy, stressing that lasting peace in Northern Nigeria requires broad national participation.
Zig Diaries Defence
Date: Thursday, 04 December 2025
Time: 13:40 WAT
Location: 📍 Abuja, Nigeria
He stated this at the National Peace Committee Dialogue on a Whole of Society Approach to the Prevention of Violence and Conflict in Northern Nigeria.
The Defence Chief who was represented by the Chief of Defence Civil Military Relations, Rear Admiral Sabiru Lawal, noted that the dialogue remains timely given the volatile and evolving security landscape in the north and emphasized that effective stability requires innovation, collaboration, and shared responsibility across all levels of society.
“The theme of this dialogue, a whole of society approach to the prevention of violence and conflict in Northern Nigeria, is both timely and critically relevant,” he added.
The Chief of Defence Staff described the security environment in the north as volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous, noting that these conditions demand broad based solutions that integrate all elements of Nigeria’s national power. He said the essence of the dialogue aligns with the inclusive and collaborative strategy needed to strengthen national security.
He highlighted that a collective framework features strongly in his military strategic philosophy, which guides the Armed Forces of Nigeria. He emphasized the need to consolidate capabilities, ensure enhanced jointness, improve welfare, and maintain strong administrative structures that reinforce Nigeria’s sovereignty within a whole of government model.
He explained that under his leadership, the Armed Forces has adopted a strategic orientation anchored on people centred security, collaboration, and preventive action, ensuring that communities become partners in peacebuilding rather than passive bystanders in the security architecture.
He noted that the Armed Forces has strengthened civil military cooperation mechanisms, enhanced community liaison structures, and prioritised the protection of civilians as a core component of stability efforts. He said future military operations will emphasise jointness and interagency synergy, given that no single stakeholder can address the drivers of conflict alone.
He stressed that development actors, traditional institutions, youth and women groups, religious bodies, the media, and civil society organisations all play indispensable roles in preventing conflict, reiterating that a whole of society approach is not optional but fundamental.
He expressed appreciation for the consistent leadership of the National Peace Committee in promoting dialogue, reconciliation, and conflict prevention, especially across northern states where vulnerabilities remain significant. He noted that the Committee’s long standing view that security requires societal participation aligns with the strategic direction of the Armed Forces.
He reminded participants that while the military remains committed to fulfilling its constitutional mandate, preventing conflict requires collaboration from all segments of society, including government at all levels, traditional rulers, faith leaders, civil society, the private sector, and development partners.
He said the Armed Forces of Nigeria remains fully committed to supporting all initiatives that strengthen peace, dialogue, and cohesion, and expressed confidence that the dialogue will produce actionable recommendations that advance stability in Northern Nigeria.
🏷️ Tags: Chief of Defence Staff, Armed Forces of Nigeria, National Peace Committee, Northern Nigeria, Security, Civil Military Relations, Peacebuilding
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