By George Ozalla
In what seemed like a marathon session, the Senate on Wednesday eventually confirmed the appointment of the newly nominated service chiefs.
Those confirmed include Lieutenant-General Olufemi Oluyede as Chief of Defence Staff, Major-General Waidi Shaibu as Chief of Army Staff, Rear Admiral Idi Abbas as Chief of Naval Staff, and Air Vice Marshal Sunday Aneke as Chief of Air Staff.
During the screening, the nominees outlined their strategic visions to tackle the country’s worsening insecurity, with emphasis on improving troop welfare, strengthening intelligence gathering, and promoting inter-service cooperation. Lieutenant-General Oluyede pledged to prioritise local defence production to reduce dependence on imported weaponry, while Major-General Shaibu stressed that effective intelligence, modern equipment, and soldier morale would drive a more coordinated military response.
Rear Admiral Abbas and Air Vice Marshal Aneke both promised closer collaboration between the armed services, alongside greater use of technology, including unmanned systems, to strengthen operations across land, sea, and air theatres.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who presided over the confirmation, commended the nominees for their professionalism and assured them of the National Assembly’s support in advancing the administration’s security agenda. He said their confirmation reflected the Senate’s confidence in their ability to deliver on President Bola Tinubu’s reform objectives for the defence sector.
A statement later signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Senate Matters, Basheer Lado, described the confirmation as a sign of the deepening collaboration between the executive and legislative arms in pursuit of national security goals.
The newly confirmed service chiefs are expected to immediately assume office and drive the government’s renewed counterinsurgency and internal security strategy amid persistent threats of terrorism, banditry, and maritime crimes.
Their confirmation followed the recent shake-up in the military hierarchy approved by President Tinubu as part of his broader security reform agenda aimed at restoring stability and public confidence in Nigeria’s defence institutions.
