Defence Chief Warns: Nigeria Must Ramp Up Tech Spending to Stay Ahead of Modern Threats.

Nigeria's Defence Minister, General Christopher Musa (retired), has issued a stark warning: the country needs to dig deeper into its pockets for security investment if it hopes to keep pace with rapidly evolving threats.

Speaking at the second annual Policy Colloquium in Abuja, the General made it clear that old-school warfare just won't cut it anymore. The nation's security challenges now span land, sea, air, and perhaps most critically the digital realm.

"Technology is increasingly becoming a decisive factor," Musa told the gathering, which was organised in partnership with Saban Media Services. "From artificial intelligence to unmanned systems, surveillance tech, and cyber capabilities, these tools are transforming how wars are fought."

The Minister didn't mince words about what's at stake. Nigeria's defence architecture, he argued, needs to be agile and forward-looking enough to anticipate threats before they materialise, not just react to them.

"We must invest in relevant technologies and strengthen the human, doctrinal, and institutional capacity required to integrate them into our defence capabilities," he stressed.

The theme of this year's colloquium "Securing the Sovereign Frontier: Strategic Defence Architecture, Emerging Technologies and Democratic Integrity in Nigeria" hit on a crucial point: that a nation's borders today extend far beyond physical geography.

Mrs Leah Katung Babatunde, the colloquium's convener, drove this home in her opening remarks. "Today's sovereign frontier extends into the digital domain, across automated systems, satellite networks, algorithmic landscapes, and the information ecosystems that sustain civic trust," she said.

But she also sounded a note of caution. While AI, cyber infrastructure, and autonomous systems present incredible opportunities, without proper governance and ethical oversight, they could open up dangerous new vulnerabilities.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, represented by National Orientation Agency Director General Lanre Issa-Onilu, echoed these concerns, highlighting how "cognitive security" has become a vital part of national defence.

He noted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration sees technology and innovation as key drivers of national development under the "Renewed Hope Agenda."

The bottom line? Nigeria's military and security apparatus is at a crossroads. The question isn't whether to embrace technological transformation it's whether the country will move fast enough to do it effectively.