About the Ministry of Defence.
Established on 1st October 1958, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is the apex policy organ of Nigeria's defence establishment — providing strategic, administrative and operational leadership across the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic.
Strategic leadership of Nigeria's defence.
MOD is the civilian face of Nigeria's military authority. The Ministry translates the policy direction of the President and Commander-in-Chief into the strategic, financial and administrative actions that keep the Armed Forces — and therefore the country — secure.
The Ministry is administered by the Honourable Minister of Defence, supported by the Honourable Minister of State and the Permanent Secretary, who is the chief administrative and accounting officer.
What we do, every day.
To provide administrative and support services, timely and effectively, that enable the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to build and maintain a modern, compact, strong, professional, mission-capable and mission-ready military for the defence of the territorial integrity of Nigeria.
Our vision: A modern, professional and well-motivated Armed Forces, fully responsive to the security needs of Nigeria and its strategic interests in the African continent and the wider world.
What the Ministry oversees.
Policy Formulation
Articulating defence policy, the National Defence Policy and inter-ministerial security strategy on behalf of the Federal Government.
Defence Budgeting & Finance
Coordinating the defence budget, payment systems, procurement and the financial governance of the Armed Forces and parastatals.
Civil–Military Liaison
Acting as the institutional interface between the elected Government, Federal Executive Council and the Armed Forces.
Welfare Administration
Overseeing pensions, housing, medical services and resettlement for serving personnel, veterans and their dependants.
Recruitment & Training Policy
Setting standards and policies for recruitment, the NDA, AFCSC, NDC and other Defence training institutions.
International Defence Co-operation
Bilateral and multilateral relations including ECOWAS, AU and UN peacekeeping, and defence diplomacy.
Six decades of service.
The Ministry of Defence was established on 1st October 1958, two years before Nigeria's independence, to provide civilian oversight of the Royal West African Frontier Force, which became the Nigerian Armed Forces in 1960. The Ministry has evolved through periods of conventional warfare, peacekeeping leadership, democratic consolidation and contemporary asymmetric threats.
Today, the Ministry coordinates the work of four operational components — the Defence Headquarters, the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Navy, the Nigerian Air Force — and a network of agencies including the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), the National Defence College (NDC), the Armed Forces Command & Staff College (AFCSC), the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC) and the Military Pensions Board (MPB).
Established: 1 October 1958.
Components: Army · Navy · Air Force · Defence HQ.
Agencies: NDA · NDC · AFCSC · DICON · NAFRC · MPB · DIA.