TARKAA DAVID writes on the first 100 days in office of General Olufemi Oluyede as the Chief of Defence Staff, saying many are watching to see how his early initiatives will translate into lasting gains for Nigeria.
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The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede’s, first 100 days in office shows signs of a tenure defined by coordination, renewed momentum, and a deliberate push to weld the Armed Forces into a more cohesive and professional fighting force.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed Lieutenant General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede as the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of Nigeria on October 24, 2025, replacing General Christopher Musa.
He was tasked with restructuring the military to improve coordination among the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
As a seasoned commander with extensive experience in counter-insurgency and international operations, Oluyede’s appointment aimed to strengthen national security and enhance operational efficiency within the Armed Forces in the face of existential security threats against the country.
From the outset, Gen. Oluyede made synergy among the Nigerian Army, Navy, Air Force and other security agencies a central point of his leadership.
Security analyst say this emphasis has translated into tighter joint planning, improved intelligence sharing and more integrated operations across theatres of conflict. Rather than operating in silos, the services are increasingly being deployed as complementary arms of a single national security strategy.
This joint approach has been particularly evident in counter-terrorism operations. In the North East and North West, coordinated air and ground actions have aimed to degrade terrorist networks, disrupt logistics and deny insurgents freedom of movement.
Within his first three months in office, hundreds of terrorists and families have surrendered to troops in various theatres of the country.
This common front led to safe rescue 265 students and teachers of St Mary Catholic School,Papiri in Niger State and the rescue of all 25 school girls of Federal Government Girls College,Maga in Kebbi State.
His tenure also secured the release of abducted Kwara and Kaduna Christian worshippers from the dens of kidnappers.
Before now, mass abductions of school girls had lingered for years due to inability to secure their release.
Senior officers attribute the changing dynamics to a clearer command-and-control structure and faster decision-making as key outcomes of the CDS’s early reforms.
Beyond kinetic operations, Gen. Oluyede has also placed strong emphasis on building a military that is firmly loyal to the Constitution and anchored on respect for human rights and the rule of law.
In his directives to commanders and troops, he has underscored the Armed Forces’ role as protectors of democracy and the civilian population, stressing that operational effectiveness must go hand in hand with professionalism and accountability.
Training and engagement initiatives under his watch are aimed at reinforcing civil-military relations and ensuring that operations are conducted within internationally accepted human rights standards.
In addition, the CDS has placed renewed focus on economic security, especially the long-running challenge of crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta.
Under his watch, the anti-oil theft security measures have been strengthened and aligned more closely with land-based and aerial surveillance. This multi-layered posture is intended to protect critical national assets, curb illegal bunkering and restore investor confidence in the oil and gas sector.
In internal engagements, Gen. Oluyede has reportedly stressed discipline, troop welfare and ethical conduct, reflecting his belief that morale, legitimacy and effectiveness are inseparable.
By engaging commanders across formations and theatres, he has sought to ensure that strategic directives from Defence Headquarters are clearly understood and uniformly implemented.
This approach has led to relative peace in trouble states of Benue and Borno evidenced in the slow return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their ancestral homes.
The Borno state government last month finalised plans to repatriate more than 3,000 Nigerian refugees from Cameroon — who have been in exile for over 11 years.
The voluntary return targets refugees, mostly from central and southern Borno communities, who fled during the height of the Boko Haram insurgency.
The first batch has already arrived the country with many still expected to join soon.
While Nigeria’s security challenges remain complex and deeply rooted, analysts say the tone of Gen. Oluyede’s first 100 days reflects a leadership intent on unity of effort, constitutional loyalty and sustained pressure on threats to national stability.
Despite these successes, his tenure is not without setbacks with attacks on communities,mass abductions and killings in parts of the country.
Communities in Kwara,Kaduna, Plateau,Niger states are still experiencing devastating attacks by these criminals.
Analysts believe that rural communities have remained vulnerable and needs deliberate efforts and strategies to protect them from further attacks.
As his tenure progresses, many will be watching to see how these early initiatives translate into lasting gains on the ground.
