Military Pacts And Matters Arising

As the nation grapples with insecurity, questions have been asked about the progress report of the government with regard to the efforts of our security agencies in addressing the security challenges in the country. These questions are germane because, in recent times, there have been scores of security concerns in the country. Only recently, a retired high-ranking military officer was kidnapped alongside his wife in Sokoto State. Before this incident, in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, school teachers and pupils of Community High School, Ahoro-Esineleand Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School were kidnapped, in what has been described as a daring and coordinated attack.

These incidents continue to raise questions about the government’s efforts to address the country’s security situation. As a newspaper, we are duty-bound to lend our voice to the commentary by asking the critical question on the various alliances the country has entered into with some countries recently, towards strengthening the nation’s military capabilities to deal with the activities of criminal elements that pervade every nook and cranny of the country.

A lot of questions have also been asked about the usefulness of these alliances in recent times. It is indeed logical to ask some of these questions because the government narrative is not in line with the reality on the ground. Are these military pacts effective as things stand? Or do we require more time to see the positives of these alliances? We have American soldiers on the ground in Nigeria, and recently, there was a coordinated airstrike that killed scores of terrorists in one of their strongholds in Borno State. This strike led to the killing of the second-in-command of the global terrorist network of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), who, shockingly, was a Nigerian.

This newspaper views this feat as notable. However, there is a need to ask if achieving such feats is beyond the capacity of the Nigerian military. This is a fundamental question that we are demanding answers to from the military hierarchy in the country. For example, if a foreign military does what the Nigerian military can do, it is not entirely a success story, and by all standards, not a sustainable enterprise. Our ability to deal with our security issues indigenously is the success story Nigerians desire.

The Nigerian Navy recently rolled out the drums in celebrating its 70th anniversary. The highlight of the celebrations is that the Nigerian Navy is ranked the strongest in Africa by the 2026 Global Firepower Index (GFP). How was the Nigerian Navy able to achieve this feat? This is an example of a success story, and why a military alliance might be a temporary solution to addressing the security challenges in the country. Military pacts are standard practice among nations; however, this must not come at the detriment of developing indigenous capabilities. This is one aspect that the government and the relevant authorities must look at critically with the various military pacts signed by Nigeria and other countries.

This newspaper is advocating for the government to treat the issue of developing a Nigerian, indigenous defence capabilities as a national emergency. We are not against military pacts that hinder our indigenous defence capabilities. It is our position that the Nigerian military can achieve equal success with the provision of strategic support from foreign partners in terms of Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR). Reliable and efficient ISR platforms are what is needed to address the bulk of the security concerns in the country. The logic of seeking military assistance from a foreign nation and the terms and conditions, including direct involvement in our military operations, does not seem sustainable. It is akin to a country assisting Nigeria with a rifle and pulling the trigger on our behalf. In such situations, there would be little or no room for developing indigenous defence capabilities.

As a country, we must begin to look inwards toward addressing our security concerns, and if indeed we need foreign support, it should be such that would improve the lot of our security agencies, rather than at the risk of appearing like bystanders. The government must get its priorities right with these foreign defence pacts. We compelled to argue that military pacts or whatever nomenclature they bear are not expect to be the bastion of the nation’s security structure. It must be understood by all parties concerned that foreign military pacts are temporary and not a comprehensive approach to addressing the security challenges in the country. The onus is on the government and key players in the defence sector to rise to the occasion in this critical period of the nation’s existence.