Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Tukur Buratai (retd), has called for a fundamental overhaul of Nigeria’s internal security framework, urging the Federal Government to expand and adequately equip the Nigeria Police Force to assume full responsibility for routine internal security duties.
Buratai said such reforms would significantly reduce the country’s growing dependence on the military for civil policing, allowing the armed forces to refocus on their core mandate of external defence and high-intensity combat operations.
He spoke in Abuja on Tuesday at the National Symposium and Lecture Series held to mark the 2026 Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance Day, where he delivered a lecture titled ‘Securing Nigeria’s Future: The Armed Forces and National Development.’
The former army chief argued that Nigeria’s police force must be professionalised and strengthened through a well-funded, multi-year reform programme capable of raising personnel strength to about 1.5 million officers. According to him, such a structure would enable the police to independently manage internal security challenges in a sustainable and accountable manner.
Beyond policing, Buratai called for sweeping reforms across Nigeria’s security and governance architecture, warning that long-term national stability would remain elusive without bold, coordinated action. He stressed the need to reposition the armed forces as catalysts for national development, while concentrating their operational focus on strategic defence roles.
Outlining key policy recommendations, the former Nigerian ambassador to the Benin Republic proposed the establishment of a National Defence Innovation Fund, to be driven by public-private partnerships. He said the fund should support research and development in critical dual-use technologies, including cyber defence, unmanned aerial systems, satellite communications and renewable energy solutions for forward operating bases.
Buratai noted that such an approach would ensure defence spending stimulates innovation within the civilian technology sector, delivering broader economic and security dividends.
On human capital development, he advocated a revised National Service and Veterans’ Framework, proposing the transformation of the National Youth Service Corps into a mandatory national service scheme with military and civic tracks. He said this would promote skills acquisition, national cohesion and improve post-service employment prospects for young Nigerians.
He also called for the enactment of a Veterans’ Rights and Transition Act to guarantee timely pensions, healthcare access, skills conversion programmes and legal protections for retired military personnel.
The former COAS further recommended the institutionalisation of permanent civil-military cooperation directorates within the Ministry of Defence and service headquarters. According to him, this would enhance structured collaboration with civilian ministries in post-conflict development, while guarding against mission creep by the armed forces.
On regional security, Buratai emphasised the importance of stronger multilateral cooperation through platforms such as the Multinational Joint Task Force and the Gulf of Guinea maritime security architecture. He said collective action remained essential in tackling transnational threats and promoting regional stability.
He concluded that a balanced blend of defence reform, internal security restructuring and regional cooperation would enable Nigeria to optimise resources, strengthen national unity and secure a more prosperous future.
Earlier, the Minister of Defence, Gen Christopher Musa (retd), reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to building a professional and resilient armed forces capable of defending Nigeria’s sovereignty and supporting national development.
Musa said the ministry was prioritising troop welfare, improved training, doctrinal refinement and the expansion of indigenous defence production. He added that ongoing policy and legislative reforms were revitalising local defence industries, encouraging private sector participation, creating jobs and reducing reliance on foreign suppliers.
