In a major boost to Nigeria’s counter-insurgency and national security efforts, the Armed Forces are set to deploy 800 highly trained special forces to frontline operational zones, the Chief of Defence Staff has revealed.
General Christopher Musa made the disclosure during his address at the 2025 Defence Training Conference in Abuja on Wednesday. Themed “Performance-Oriented Training and Trends in the Contemporary Operating Environment,” the event brought together senior military officials to assess training reforms in response to evolving conflict dynamics.
“The graduating class of 800 special forces personnel will be deployed next week,” Musa announced. “They’ve undergone intensive, comprehensive training and will operate as a single force to maintain operational coherence and mutual understanding in the field.”
The CDS noted that traditional approaches to deployment, where units were broken into smaller detachments, had weakened effectiveness on the ground. “Experience has taught us that a fighting force must know and trust itself to function effectively,” he said.
Highlighting the growing complexity of modern threats, Musa outlined a wide spectrum of national security concerns—from terrorism and insurgency to cyber attacks and hybrid warfare tactics. He stressed the importance of staying ahead of adversaries who are often technologically adept and driven by extremist ideology.
“Our enemies are evolving. They use AI, drones, cyber tools, and asymmetric tactics. Our forces must train not for yesterday’s war, but for the battles of tomorrow,” he added.
He also reinforced the necessity of joint inter-agency cooperation, stating: “The scale of today’s challenges cannot be managed by one service or agency alone. Collective defence is the only way forward.”
Rear Admiral Ibrahim Shettima, Chief of Defence Training, also addressed the gathering, calling for military readiness to be aligned with modern threats. He advocated the expansion of simulation-based training, cross-service integration, and leadership development to prepare officers capable of navigating the rapidly changing security landscape.
“Our objective is to create a force that is not only technically proficient but also globally agile and resilient in any theatre of conflict,” Shettima stated.
