An Overview of the Nigerian Defense Policy and the Challenges against Terrorism

Abstract

From independence to the present, Nigeria aims and aspiration in its national defense policy is to maintain peace with its neighbors, security and defend its territorial integrity. With the principles of Afrocentricism and neighborliness , it is of no doubt that Nigeria detests war. However, global issues have transcended maintenance of peace without viable economy, good governance technology and motivation among which are becoming a challenge against Nigerian defense policy. Current contemporary issue of terrorism poses serious challenge on Nigeria defense policy. It is true that Nigerian defense policy addresses military capability and deterrence against external threat but it lacks the necessary requirements to back it up in challenging terrorism. It also appears that Nigeria defense policy is heavily relying on the matrix of military capability as a source of deterrence rather than the sum total of superior technology/excellent infrastructure, motivation and resources to fight terrorism. The Nigerian defense policy also failed to take cognizance of the revolution in military revolutionary affairs in which new dimension of fighting war through asymmetric or ultra-irregular warfare and terrorist grand strategy of kidnapping and suicide bombing have overtaken the place of military conventional warfare. The paper attempts to trace the historical precedent of the Nigerian defense policy, its role and challenges in combating terrorism. The paper made use of observation and secondary data and also concluded that it is not the Nigerian defense policy on paper that is faulty but it lacks the operational mechanisms of combating terrorism such as good and purposeful leadership, motivation, resources and moving with the global trend of revolution in military warfare. The paper came out with suggested solutions that government must use human and resources security, de-politicization of terrorism, moving with the global trend of revolution in military affairs with collective global security to fight terrorism.