The Federal Government is pushing for a strategic reset of the Multinational Joint Task Force as changing security threats across the Lake Chad Basin and the wider Sahel expose the need for a more adaptive, sustainable and better-supported regional response.
Desk: Defence & Security
Date: October 6, 2026
Time: 15:25 WAT
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Defence Minister General Christopher Musa (Rtd), made the call on October 6 at the opening of a two-day High-Level International Forum on the MNJTF at the National Defence College, Abuja, where he urged participating states and international partners to reassess how the force is structured, equipped, commanded and sustained.
The forum, convened by Defence Headquarters in collaboration with the Irregular Warfare Centre of the National Defence College, is examining the future of the regional force 11 years after its establishment. Its theme is “Repositioning the Multi National Joint Task Force to Effectively Combat Evolving Threat Dynamics in the Lake Chad Region.”
General Musa said the MNJTF remains critical to countering terrorism, transnational crime and other forms of insecurity across the Lake Chad Basin, but argued that the regional threat environment has changed significantly since the force was established.
That shift, he said, requires a critical reassessment of the Task Force’s structure, capabilities, intelligence, command and control, logistics and financing.
The Minister challenged participants to move beyond routine assessments and produce practical measures capable of strengthening the MNJTF over the long term, particularly as threats evolve across the Sahel and patterns of international support change.
He also commended troops for their sacrifices and acknowledged the contributions of regional and international partners to countering insecurity.
The forum brings together the African Union, European Union, Lake Chad Basin Commission, troop-contributing countries, current and former MNJTF Force Commanders and other strategic stakeholders. General Musa expressed optimism that their combined experience would generate actionable recommendations for strengthening the Task Force.
He assured participants that the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces of Nigeria would give due attention to the forum's outcomes, stressing that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration considers the MNJTF an important instrument of regional security and collective African action.
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General Musa's intervention was complemented by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Oluyede, who described the forum as a timely platform for military practitioners, policymakers, academics and strategic partners to examine the MNJTF's experience, continuing relevance and future employment.
General Oluyede stressed that the transnational character of contemporary security threats requires sustained cooperation, intelligence sharing, interoperability, mutual trust and the ability to adapt collective responses to emerging realities.
He called for candid, constructive and forward-looking deliberations capable of producing practical recommendations for strengthening the MNJTF and improving security across the Lake Chad Basin and wider Sahel.
The Chief of Defence Staff further emphasised that security in the Lake Chad Basin remains a shared responsibility requiring sustained commitment and stronger partnerships among regional and international stakeholders.
The two-day forum is expected to identify practical pathways for strengthening the MNJTF and adapting its collective security role to the region's evolving threat environment.
🏷️ Tags: MNJTF, Lake Chad Basin, Defence Ministry, Defence Headquarters, Regional Security, Counterterrorism
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