By Bavoriat Clara
The Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, commenced a high-level strategic seminar focused on strengthening operational effectiveness through innovation, transformation and enhanced jointness in response to the nation’s evolving security challenges.
The seminar, themed “Optimising the AFN’s Operational Capabilities through Transformation and Innovation: Issues and Prospects,” convened senior military officers, academics, defence analysts and subject-matter experts to deliberate on practical strategies for reinforcing national defence within a whole-of-government framework.
Delivering the keynote address, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Olatubonsun Oluyede, Armed Forces Medal, said the volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous nature of the contemporary operating environment makes deliberate transformation and sustained innovation imperative for maintaining operational superiority.
General Oluyede noted that innovation remains a critical enabler of modern military operations, enhancing situational awareness, force protection, precision and decision-making speed. He stressed that all transformation efforts must be firmly rooted in the CDS Military Strategic Philosophy, which prioritises enhanced jointness, a stronger operational posture, improved personnel welfare and effective administration to safeguard Nigeria’s sovereignty and prosperity.
The Defence Chief identified key challenges confronting the AFN, including limited domestic defence production capacity, gaps in emerging technologies and funding constraints arising from competing national priorities. Despite these challenges, he expressed optimism about the prospects for sustainable transformation, citing the dedication of personnel and growing institutional emphasis 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 in the face of emerging and asymmetric threats. He said the increasing complexity of operations across multiple theatres demands that military systems, doctrines and operational methods evolve faster than those of adversaries. He urged participants to focus on enhancing joint operational coordination, strengthening intelligence capabilities, modernising logistics and accelerating digital transformation across the services.
Also speaking, a resource person at the seminar, Professor Ehiz Odigie-Okpataku, emphasised that technology alone cannot guarantee 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, as well as stronger collaboration between the military, academia, the private sector and regional and international security institutions.
The seminar reaffirmed the Armed Forces of Nigeria’s commitment to transformation, jointness and innovation as key pillars for sustaining national security and operational excellence, according to a statement issued by the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba.
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