Ministry of Defence (Nigeria)

Last updated

Ministry of Defence
Seal of the Nigerian Defence.png
Flag of the Nigerian Armed Forces.svg
Agency overview
Formed1958;66 years ago (1958)
Type Executive Department
Jurisdiction Federal Government of Nigeria
Headquarters Abuja
Minister responsible
Agency executives
  • Dr Ibrahim Abubakar Kana mni, Permanent Secretary
  • Benson Usiholo Odaman, Director of Planning Research and Statistics
  • O. M. Mustapha, Director of Joint Services
Parent department Government of Nigeria
Child agency
Key document
Website http://defence.gov.ng

The Ministry of Defence is a Ministry of the Federal Government of Nigeria with the statutory responsibility of overseeing and supervising the Nigerian Armed Forces. The Ministry of Defence is headed by the Minister of Defence, a cabinet-level head who reports directly to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Its main mission is to provide administrative and support services, timely and effectively to enable the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Contents

History

Early years

The Ministry of Defence came into being on 1 October 1958, when the War Office granted control of the armed forces to the national government - earlier discussions were made that made the establishment of Ministry of Defence. In 1956, at the time of the visit of Queen Elizabeth II, the Nigeria Regiment was renamed The Queen's Own Nigeria Regiment, Royal West African Frontier Force as a mark of allegiance to the Queen of the United Kingdom (and later the Queen of Nigeria). On 1 May 1958, the Naval Defence Force (NDF) was legally established as a force and re-designated Royal Nigerian Navy (RNN). On 1 June 1958, the British Army Council in London relinquished control of Nigerian Military Force (NMF) to the Nigerian Government. Upon its creation, the ministry was given responsibility over the two branches of the military in existence at that time the Royal Nigerian Army and the Royal Nigerian Navy and later oversaw the founding of the Nigerian Air Force in 1964.

Military government

Sani Abacha served as defence minister while also acting as head of state in the 1990s. [1]

Democracy and reform

The goal of the defense ministry for the return of democratic rule was to reposition the military serve as defender of the elected constitutional government. [2]

In April 2022, the Permanent Secretary Ibrahim Kana, announced that the federal government had concluded plans to create a brand new Ministry of Defence, with the goal being to have various services operating under the same roof in a "Pentagon-like style", enhancing civil-military co-operation and ending the dichotomy between the services and the ministry. [3]

Responsibilities

The aims and objectives of the Ministry of Defence which are derived from the National Defence Policy are as follows: [4]

Organisation

Headquartered at the Ship House in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory. The organizational structure of the Ministry is made up of the civilian and military components. The Minister of Defence, appointed by the President of Nigeria with the consent of the Senate, is the political head of the Ministry of Defence. The Minister is sometimes assisted by the Minister of State. The Permanent Secretary is the Accounting and Chief Administrative Officer of the Ministry. He coordinates and directs the activities of the Departments and Units in the Ministry.

Military organization

The Armed Forces Services Headquarters of the Ministry comprise the following:

The control of the Armed Forces, their joint operations and training rest with the Chief of Defence Staff Nigeria who coordinates the three Services while the three Service Chiefs are responsible for the day to day running of their respective Services.

Civilian organization

The civilization cell are nine operational departments within the Ministry each headed by a civilian director:

The civilian cell under the operational control of a civilian Director of the Nigerian Civil Service with others including:

Recently, the Office of the Director under the (Office of the Permanent Secretary) Special Duties was created to oversee the following units in the Ministry:

Parastatals and agencies

In addition, three agencies are subordinate to the Ministry of Defence: The Defence Mission, Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) and the Defence Intelligence School. Other defence parastatals include the Military Pension Board (MPB), Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC), and the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON). The Ministry of Defence also supervises tri-service training institutions, including the National Defence College (NDC), Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji (AFCSC), and the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA).

List of ministers

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghana Armed Forces</span> Combined military forces of Ghana

The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) is the unified armed force of Ghana, consisting of the Army (GA), Navy (GN), and Ghana Air Force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nigerian Armed Forces</span> Military forces of Nigeria

The Nigerian Armed Forces (NAF) are the military forces of Nigeria. The armed forces consist of three service branches: the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, and Nigerian Air Force. The President of Nigeria functions as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, exercising his constitutional authority through the Ministry of Defence, which is responsible for the management of the military and its personnel. The operational head of the AFN is the Chief of Defence Staff, who is subordinate to the Nigerian Defence Minister. With a force of more than 230,000 active personnel, the Nigerian military is one of the largest uniformed combat services in Africa. According to Global Firepower, the Nigerian Armed Forces are the fourth-most powerful military in Africa, and ranked 35th on its list, internationally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Armed Forces</span> Combined military forces of the United Kingdom

The British Armed Forces are the military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests, support international peacekeeping efforts and provide humanitarian aid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Armed Forces</span> Unified military force

The Canadian Armed Forces are the unified military forces of Canada, including land, sea, and air commands referred to as the Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy, and the Royal Canadian Air Force. The CAF also operates several other commands, including the Canadian Forces Intelligence Command, the Canadian Joint Operations Command, and the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)</span> UK Government department responsible for defence

The Ministry of Defence is a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for implementing the defence policy set by the government and serves as the headquarters of the British Armed Forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commander-in-chief</span> Supreme commanding authority of a military

A commander-in-chief or supreme commander is the person who exercises supreme command and control over an armed force or a military branch. As a technical term, it refers to military competencies that reside in a country's executive leadership, a head of state, head of government, or other designated government official.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Military police</span> Police organization part of the military of a state

Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. In wartime operations, the military police may support the main fighting force with force protection, convoy security, screening, rear reconnaissance, logistic traffic management, counterinsurgency, and detainee handling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chief of the Defence Staff (Canada)</span> Commander of the Canadian Armed Forces

The chief of the Defence Staff is the professional head of the Canadian Armed Forces. As the senior military position, the chief of the Defence Staff advises the Cabinet, particularly the minister of national defence and the prime minister. The role is a Crown-in-Council appointment made by the viceroy on the advice of the prime minister.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee</span> Administrative body of the Pakistan Armed Forces

The Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (JCSC), ; is an administrative body of senior high-ranking uniformed military leaders of the unified Pakistan Armed Forces who advises the civilian Government of Pakistan, National Security Council, Defence Minister, President and Prime minister of Pakistan on important military and non-military strategic matters. It is defined by statute, and consists of a Chairman, the military chiefs from Army, Navy and the Air Force: all four-star officers appointed by the President, on the advice of the Prime minister. The chairman is selected based on seniority and merit from the Chiefs of service of the three branches of the Pakistan Armed and Defense Services. Each service chief, outside their Joint Chiefs of Staff obligations, performs their duty directly for the Ministry of Defence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inspector General of the Bundeswehr</span> Highest-ranking military position in the modern German military

The Inspector General of the Bundeswehr, is the highest-ranking military position held by a commissioned officer on active duty in the Bundeswehr, the present-day armed forces of Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ministry of Defence (India)</span> Indian Executive Department

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government relating directly to national security and the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the ceremonial commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the country. The Ministry of Defence provides policy framework and resources to the armed forces to discharge their responsibility in the context of the defence of the country. The Indian Armed Forces and Indian Coast Guard under the Ministry of Defence are primarily responsible for ensuring the territorial integrity of India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Provost (military police)</span> Military police who only police within the armed forces

Provosts are military police (MP) whose duties are policing solely within the armed forces of a country, as opposed to gendarmerie duties in the civilian population. However, many countries use their gendarmerie for provost duties.

The Ministry of Defence, is an executive ministry of the federal Government of Pakistan, tasked in defending national interests and territorial integrity of Pakistan. The MoD oversees mission execution of its policies and supervises all agencies of the government directly related to the national security and the Pakistan Armed Forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sri Lanka Armed Forces</span> Combined military forces of Sri Lanka

The Sri Lanka Armed Forces is the overall unified military of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka encompassing the Sri Lanka Army, the Sri Lanka Navy, and the Sri Lanka Air Force; they are governed by the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The three services have around 346,700 active personnel; conscription has never been imposed in Sri Lanka. As of 2021 it is the 14th largest military in the world, with 1.46% of the Sri Lankan population actively serving.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ministry of Defence (Malaysia)</span> Malaysia ministry responsible for defence

The Ministry of Defence, abbreviated MINDEF or KEMENTAH, is a ministry of the Government of Malaysia that is responsible for defence, national security, army, navy, hydrography, air force, armed forces, intelligence services, counterintelligence, military intelligence, national service, and veterans affairs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ministry of National Defence (East Germany)</span> Chief administrative arm of the East German National Peoples Army

The Ministry of National Defense was the chief administrative arm of the East German National People's Army. The MND was modeled on the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union. The headquarters of the Ministry was in Strausberg near East Berlin. The Guard Regiment Hugo Eberlein provided security and guard services to the Ministry. The Ministry also had its own publishing house, Military publishing house of the German Democratic Republic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Head of the Armed Forces</span> Commander-in-chief of the United Kingdom

Head of the Armed Forces is the position of the sovereign of the United Kingdom as commander-in-chief of the British Armed Forces. However, supreme military authority has been delegated by the monarch to the Defence Council of the United Kingdom, a body officially charged with the direction and administration of the Armed Forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ministry of Defence (Spain)</span> Government institution in Spain

The Ministry of Defence (MINISDEF) is the department of the Government of Spain responsible for planning, developing and carrying out the general guidelines of the Government about the defence policy and the managing of the military administration. It is the administrative and executive body of the Spanish Armed Forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ministry of Armed Forces (France)</span>

The Ministry of Armed Forces is the ministry of the Government of France in charge of managing the French Armed Forces inside and outside French soil. Its head is the Minister of the Armed Forces. From 1947 until 2017, the Ministry was designated the Ministry of Defence. It is France's ministry of defence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Department of Military Affairs</span> Department under ministry of defence, Government of India

Department of Military Affairs (DMA) is the department in charge of military matters within the Indian Ministry of Defence. Headed by the Chief of Defence Staff, as its ex-officio secretary, the DMA provides integration between the armed forces of the Union and the Ministry of Defence.

References

  1. ↑ Paden, John N. (2005) Muslim Civic Cultures and Conflict Resolution, Brookings Institution Press. p. 240. ISBN   0-8157-6817-6.
  2. ↑ "Nigeria - Ministry of Defense". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  3. ↑ www.premiumtimesng.com https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/526377-nigerian-govt-mulls-creation-of-new-ministry-of-defence.html?tztc=1 . Retrieved 3 July 2023.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. ↑ "MPB – Ministry of Defence" . Retrieved 7 February 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.