Abuja, May 16, 2026 — The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, has urged broader collaboration among key stakeholders to strengthen Nigeria’s military and align its operations with modern security realities.
Tajudeen made the appeal on Monday during the commencement of a two-day public hearing on five defence-related bills organised by the House Committee on Defence in Abuja.
The proposed legislations include the Armed Forces Farms and Ranches Scheme Bill, the Gender Representation in the Armed Forces Bill, the bill to repeal the Armed Forces Act and enact the Nigerian Military Force Bill, the Veterans’ Federation of Nigeria Bill, as well as bills covering military education, doctrine, and medical services.
He explained that the reforms are aimed at addressing Nigeria’s changing security landscape and building a more adaptive, professional and inclusive military system.
According to him, the country continues to battle insurgency in the North-East, banditry and kidnapping in the North-West, farmer-herder conflicts in the North-Central, and separatist-related tensions in the South-East.
He added that emerging threats such as piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, cyber warfare, and the growing link between organised crime and terrorism are further complicating national security.
The Speaker noted that the Armed Forces remain overstretched but continue to serve as the nation’s primary defence against both internal and external threats.
He stressed that the objective of the legislative process is to produce laws that will make the military more professional, accountable, inclusive, and better equipped to safeguard lives and property.
Tajudeen emphasized that current security challenges require fresh thinking and innovative reforms, noting that existing approaches have not fully resolved the country’s problems.
He therefore called on serving and retired military personnel, civil society groups, gender specialists, veterans, legal practitioners, and members of the public to actively contribute to the process through memoranda and presentations.
He assured that all submissions would be carefully reviewed and considered, with relevant contributions reflected in the final legislative reports.
The Speaker also reminded participants of the sacrifices being made by members of the Armed Forces, who continue to operate in difficult and dangerous environments to protect the country.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Benson Babajimi, said security challenges are constantly evolving, making it necessary for legal and institutional frameworks to be updated accordingly.
Babajimi explained that the bills are designed to strengthen the military and make it more responsive, innovative, and future-oriented.
He encouraged stakeholders to take part actively in the discussions, whether through written submissions or oral presentations, noting that every input would be thoroughly evaluated to improve the quality of the legislation.
The committee reaffirmed its commitment to considering all contributions in order to produce stronger and more effective defence-related laws for the country.