Christopher Musa, the nominee for the Minister of Defence position and recently retired Chief of Defence Staff, has firmly asserted that the Armed Forces alone are insufficient to overcome Nigeria’s pervasive insecurity challenges.
Musa made this significant declaration on Wednesday, the 3rd of December, 2025, at the Senate Chamber of the National Assembly during his formal screening for
the ministerial role.
Musa argued that a fundamental misunderstanding exists regarding the military’s role in national security. He stressed that military action only forms a minor part of the required solution.
He stated: “I think one mistake we make is we think the Armed Forces can solve all the problems. The Armed Forces solution is just 20-25 per cent.”
The former Defence Chief highlighted that the majority of the solution depends on broader governmental and civil cooperation, emphasizing the need for robust policy.
He added that security requires: “Majority has to do with good governance, building capacity, working together with all the other MDAs. The police has a lot to contribute, Civil Defense, all other agencies, including foreign service, Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Interior.”
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Musa specifically noted a long-standing issue with inter-agency collaboration, saying: “What we have observed over time is that with the MDAs, we have not really been able to get the full support of the MDAs.”
Throughout his life, Musa stated he has been primarily focused on operational matters, but recognized the critical importance of policy oversight moving forward.
He pledged a focus on fiscal responsibility within the military, saying: “I think one basic area we are also going to look at is accountability of the Armed Forces so that whatever funds is being made can be properly utilized, and I think that is very critical, so that we can make sure that whatever it is we’re getting are things that will help us and assist us in the members of the Armed Forces in carrying out their action.”