We’re strengthening foreign military ties to protect Nigeria’s sovereignty says Chief of Defence.

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Olufemi Oluyede has affirmed that the military is prudently managing its international collaborations to ensure the protection of Nigeria’s sovereignty.

According to the Cable , Oluyede spoke on Tuesday when he appeared before the house of representatives joint committee on defence to defend the military’s allocation in the 2026 budget.

The defence chief said the armed forces are grappling with intelligence shortfalls, necessitating support from allied countries.

He said the partnerships have already improved the quality of intelligence available to security forces and enabled quicker responses to emerging threats.

“You are all aware that we are partnering with some allied countries to support us because we have shortfalls in some areas, like gathering intelligence, because we don’t have the platform. That is the truth,” the CDS said.

“Where they are coming, we will get better intelligence. We are acting on their feedback as we receive it. They have been quite helpful.

“But we are trying to see how we can streamline the ones coming in, because we can’t partner with everybody. And even in partnerships, we need to streamline activities in Nigeria to ensure our sovereignty is not in any way affected.

“So, we are very much aware of that, and we are doing it within the guidelines given to us by Mr President. By and large, we expect that if we are supported more, we should be able to make Nigeria safer.”

Last week, TheCable reported details of the country’s military partnership with the United States, following increased collaboration between the two countries in the wake of President Donald Trump’s redesignation of Nigeria as a country of particular concern (CPC).

On the nation’s security situation, Oluyede said conditions have improved in the north-east, noting that challenges persist in the north-west and parts of the north-central, including Benue, Plateau and Kwara states.

He said newly trained special forces have been deployed to Benue and Plateau, while a new joint task force, to be known as Savannah Shield, will cover Kwara and parts of Niger state.

The defence chief said the armed forces are overstretched and cannot secure the country alone, urging stronger support for the police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

He added that manpower constraints mean troops are constantly redeployed from one theatre to another, leaving little time to rest.

The CDS further linked insecurity to local collaboration and called on Nigerians to support security agencies.

‘INCREASED BUDGETARY ALLOCATION MUST MATCH RESULTS’

Babajimi Benson, chairman of the committee on defence, told the defence chief that increased budgetary allocations to the defence ministry must be matched with measurable improvements.

Benson said while the national assembly has continued to prioritise funding for the defence and security sector despite limited national resources, Nigerians now expect clear results, value for money, and strict adherence to transparency and accountability standards.

“The expectations of Nigerians are high, and rightly so. They demand results that translate into safer communities, restored livelihoods and renewed confidence in the authority of the state,” the lawmaker said.

“In response to these expectations, the national assembly, within the limits of available national resources, has continued to accord priority to the defence and security sector in successive budgets.

“However, increased allocations must be matched with measurable outcomes, value for money and strict adherence to principles of transparency and accountability.”

Benson said the era of “input-focused budgeting without commensurate impact is no longer acceptable”, adding that Nigerians expect clearly defined outputs and outcomes that reflect operational effectiveness and institutional efficiency.

In December, President Bola Tinubu presented N58 trillion 2026 budget to the national assembly, allocating N5.4 tillion to defence and security