By Sumaila Ogbaje
Abuja, Dec. 19, 2025 – In a significant move to bridge national policy and security strategy, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede, has pledged a new era of deepened collaboration between the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) and the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS). This commitment underscores a strategic recognition that long-term national security is inextricably linked to sound, research-driven policy.
General Oluyede gave this assurance on Thursday when he received the Director-General of NIPSS, Professor Ayo Omotayo, on a courtesy visit at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja. The meeting, detailed in a statement by the Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Samaila Uba, highlighted a mutual commitment to addressing Nigeria’s complex challenges through intellectual and operational synergy.
The CDS, who is both an alumnus and a member of the NIPSS Board of Governors, lauded the institute’s pivotal role in national development. “NIPSS has been instrumental in cultivating strategic-level manpower and conducting research for transformational policies,” he stated. He particularly emphasized the timeliness of the institute’s work, noting, “We are at a critical juncture where research and development are urgently needed. The Armed Forces are ready to partner with NIPSS to develop concrete, actionable solutions to our current security and developmental challenges.”
This proposed partnership moves beyond mere consultation. It envisions a framework where NIPSS’s deep policy research and future-casting capabilities directly inform defence planning and strategy. Conversely, the practical, on-the-ground experiences of the armed forces can provide invaluable real-world data and context to shape more robust and implementable policies at the institute.
Professor Omotayo, in his remarks, extended profound appreciation for the sacrifices of the Nigerian military in preserving the nation’s sovereignty and unity. He then outlined ambitious plans for NIPSS, notifying the CDS of an ongoing solution-development project in partnership with the Nigerian Army and seeking broader armed forces support to ensure its success.
More broadly, the Director-General unveiled a visionary goal to reposition NIPSS as a premier African Think-Tank Centre for the Incubation and Development of Transformational Ideas. This elevates the institute’s mandate from a primarily Nigerian focus to a continental hub of strategic thought. Realising this ambition, he noted, would require the sustained support and partnership of institutions like the AFN, not just in terms of security but also in providing practical case studies and strategic perspectives.
Professor Omotayo also appealed for continued support to enhance the institute’s teaching and learning environment, a foundational requirement for nurturing the high-calibre leaders both institutions seek to develop.
This meeting signals a powerful alignment between Nigeria’s foremost defence establishment and its apex policy think-tank. The promised collaboration represents a proactive step towards a more integrated, intellectually grounded approach to national security and development, where policy is informed by operational reality and military strategy is guided by long-term, research-based foresight.
Edited by Muhammad Lawal
