The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, says security challenges confronting Nigeria has evolved considerably and requires all security agencies and stakeholders to work together.
Oluyede said this at the opening ceremony of the Strategic National Security Exercise (STRANEX) at the National Defence College (NDC) in Abuja.
Oluyede represented by the Director of Training, Defence Headquarters, Maj.-Gen Shaibu Nuhu, said that STRANEX represented a significant milestone in the collective pursuit of excellence and military education and strategic preparedness.
According to the CDS, coming together of the NDC and the services war colleges for a single integrated strategic exercise reflects a shared commitment of fostering a Nigeria capable of addressing increasingly complex security challenges.
“STRANEX is conceived as a platform to train participants to develop innovative, collaborative, and role-of-government solutions to national security issues.
“It is expected that the exercise will strengthen strategic thinking, improve service operation and deepen understanding of the multidimensional character of contemporary security operations.”
He added that the initiative aligned with his command philosophy, which is to consolidate the capabilities of the armed forces through enhanced ”jointness” for a reinforced operational custom, supported by improved welfare and sound administration.
He said that this aimed to ensure the armed forces maintained its core military fundamental responsibility of guaranteeing Nigeria’s sovereignty and prosperity.
“This philosophy underscores the imperative of integrating our capabilities across the services, while strengthening collaboration with other security agencies, ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).
“It is only through such synergy that we can effectively respond to complex security challenges of our time and deliver enduring security outcomes for our nation,” he said.
The Commandant of the NDC, Rear Adm. Abdullahi Ahmed, in his remark said that STRANEX 2026 marked a significant milestone in the advancement of professional military education and strategic collaboration within the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
“STRANEX is a pioneering initiative that brings together participants and faculty from the NDC and services war colleges in a unified strategic exercise designed to strengthen ‘jointness’, enhance critical thinking, and fosters a shared understanding of Nigeria’s complex national security environment.
“The conduct of this exercise reflects our collective recognition that contemporary security challenges are increasingly multifaceted and cannot be effectively addressed through isolated institutional or single-service approaches,” he said.
He noted that terrorism, insurgency, maritime insecurity, cyber threats, transnational crime, resource competition, and other emerging security concerns demanded integrated planning, strategic foresight, and coordinated national responses.
“STRANEX has therefore been carefully designed to provide participants of NDC Course 34 and services war colleges with an opportunity to analyse complex scenarios.
“The exercise will test strategic decision-making processes, and develop comprehensive solutions through collaboration across the services and with relevant national stakeholders,” he also said.
He added that STRANEX aligned with the mission of the NDC, which is to ”Develop Future Strategic Leaders Sufficiently Equipped with the Requisite Knowledge and Analytical Skills Necessary to Harness the Instruments of National Power in a Dynamic Defence and Security Environment”.
The commandant said that as Nigeria’s apex institution for strategic-level professional military education, the college remained committed to producing leaders who possessed not only military competence.
