The Federal Government has announced plans to deploy retired military personnel to secure Nigeria’s ungoverned spaces, as part of efforts to strengthen national security and stimulate economic activity in areas affected by conflict.
The initiative follows the establishment of an 18-member committee by Defence Minister Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), charged with reclaiming ungoverned territories for economic development and restructuring the Nigerian Legion Corps of Commissionaires and Veterans.
According to a statement released on Wednesday, January 28, by the Ministry’s Deputy Director of Information, Enderline Chukwu, on behalf of the Director of Information and Public Relations, the committee was inaugurated on Tuesday at the Defence Ministry headquarters in Abuja, with the Permanent Secretary, Richard Pheelangwa, representing the minister.
At the inauguration, Musa explained that deploying veterans to ungoverned spaces would support ongoing military operations by bringing experienced personnel into local security and development work, especially in regions where government presence is limited.
The minister described the initiative as representing a strategic change from depending too heavily on military force to adopting a more comprehensive and sustainable security approach that addresses the underlying socio-economic causes of insecurity.
“The Minister of Defence Gen. Christopher Musa (retd) has inaugurated an 18-man membership committee on ‘Reclaiming Ungoverned Spaces for Economic Viability and the Repositioning of the Nigerian Legion corps of Commissionaires and Veterans’ as part of a renewed effort to strengthen Veterans welfare and ensure active participation of military veterans in strengthening national security,” the statement read.
“The Minister reeled out the three terms of reference of the committee to include: (1) To reposition the veteran community to support national economic development. (2) To deploy veterans to secure Ungoverned Spaces and ensure that the areas are brought under effective oversight and development.”
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“(3) To reposition the Nigerian Legion Corps of Commissionaires, strengthen operational effectiveness, facilitate veterans reintegration and promote their contribution to national security.”
Musa emphasised that the programme demonstrates the Federal Government’s dedication to ensuring that veterans who served Nigeria honourably can live meaningful lives after leaving service, whilst continuing to contribute to the country’s stability.
He noted that intentionally incorporating veterans into security and development programmes would increase local involvement, strengthen intelligence collection, and build greater trust between communities and government.
“Deliberate integration of veterans into security and development initiatives would enhance local ownership, improve intelligence gathering and foster trust between communities and the state,” he added.
The minister encouraged committee members to embrace innovative and progressive thinking that would generate practical recommendations supporting a comprehensive strategy for securing ungoverned spaces, encouraging inclusive economic growth, and maintaining peace.
The committee comprises representatives from the Joint Services Department of the ministry, the Nigerian Legion, Defence Headquarters, the Defence Intelligence Agency, the Nigerian Army, Navy and Air Force, as well as the offices of the Ministers of Defence and State for Defence.
Previously, there have been increasing calls to integrate retired military personnel into Nigeria’s security framework as a way to reduce the excessive burden on overstretched active-duty personnel deployed throughout the country.