The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, has called for bold and innovative measures to address Nigeria’s worsening security challenges, stressing that existing approaches have not delivered the desired results.
Speaking on Monday at a public hearing on security-related bills organised by the House Committee on Defence, the Speaker said the 10th National Assembly is committed to strengthening the legal and institutional frameworks guiding the nation’s military and security architecture.
Abbas noted that the public hearing was designed to encourage broad stakeholder participation and evidence-based contributions aimed at improving the effectiveness of the Armed Forces.
According to him, the proposed bills are intended to modernise military operations, improve welfare for veterans, enhance inclusiveness, and strengthen national security.
Among the bills under consideration are the Armed Forces Farms and Ranches Scheme Bill, aimed at linking food security with military operations in conflict-prone agricultural communities; the Gender Representation in the Armed Forces Bill; the Nigerian Military Force Bill, which seeks to replace the current Armed Forces Act; and the Veterans’ Federation of Nigeria Bill to improve the welfare of retired service personnel.
Other proposed legislations focus on military education, doctrine development, and medical services.
Describing the bills as more than routine legislative exercises, Abbas said they represent a direct response to evolving security threats and the need for a more resilient, professional, and effective military institution.
“The security challenges we face today demand bold, fresh thinking. The old ways have not fully worked. We must be open to legislative innovations,” the Speaker stated.
He urged serving and retired military personnel, civil society groups, legal practitioners, gender experts, veterans, and ordinary citizens to actively participate in the process through memoranda and presentations, assuring them that all contributions would be carefully considered.
Abbas also pledged that the House Committee on Defence would conduct the exercise transparently and fairly, emphasizing that the goal is to produce legislation that strengthens professionalism, accountability, inclusiveness, and operational effectiveness within the Armed Forces.
Earlier, Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Babajimi Benson, said the proposed bills seek to address critical areas of national defence, including military education, healthcare support, joint operations, strategic research, veterans’ welfare, governance reforms, food security, and inclusiveness.
He noted that as security threats continue to evolve—from terrorism and insurgency to cybercrime and transnational criminal activities—Nigeria’s legal and institutional frameworks must also adapt to contemporary realities.
Benson encouraged stakeholders to make meaningful contributions to ensure the bills are refined in the national interest, assuring that every submission would receive due consideration.
The public hearing form part of the 10th House of Representatives’ legislative agenda aimed at building a stronger, more professional, innovative, and future-ready military institution.
