Defence Minister Musa Emphasizes Intelligence As Key To Military Success

The Minister of Defence General Christopher Musa (Rtd) has underscored the importance of actionable intelligence to successful military operations.

He said without actionable intelligence in an asymmetric warfare, troops would operate blindly.

General Musa spoke at a meeting with Intelligence Community on Thursday in Abuja.

He said the meeting aims to review current arrangements, identify areas for improvement, and establish a team of intelligence experts working together for the good of the nation.

He said, “We all know the importance of intelligence, particularly in asymmetric warfare, where threats come both from within and outside our borders. What we have observed is that, while we have been operating effectively, much of our work has been in silos. It is high time we integrate these efforts so that all actions are coordinated and impactful. Actionable intelligence is critical to enabling our troops in the field to react promptly and decisively.”

He stated that in line with the President’s directive that security agencies enhance jointness in its operations, troops were working jointly in operations, “but intelligence coordination has not always been fully integrated.”

According to the minister, jointness entails every service and agency is important; none is irrelevant, “intelligence—whether human or technical—must be harnessed collectively to provide better leverage.”

He said, “Asymmetric warfare is largely a warfare of intelligence. Without intelligence, we operate blindly. Unlike conventional warfare, threats are often unidentified, and even those close to us may be potential adversaries.

“We must explore all means to enhance human intelligence and ensure that Nigerians understand their role in promptly providing relevant information so that timely action can be taken,” he added.

He reassured that the Ministry of Defence remains committed to supporting and ensuring that intelligence gathered from all sources is harnessed and made operational to enhance the capacity of troops in the field.

He said this will strengthen the country’s national security and operational effectiveness.