| Ministry of Defence | |
| Seal: | File:Seal_of_the_Nigerian_Defence.png |
| Agency Type: | Executive Department |
| Jurisdiction: | Federal Government of Nigeria |
| Headquarters: | Abuja |
| Minister1 Name: | Mohammed Badaru Abubakar |
| Chief1 Name: | Dr Ibrahim Abubakar Kana mni |
| Chief1 Position: | Permanent Secretary |
| Chief2 Name: | Benson Usiholo Odaman |
| Chief2 Position: | Director of Planning Research and Statistics |
| Chief3 Name: | O. M. Mustapha |
| Chief3 Position: | Director of Joint Services |
| Keydocument1: | Section 217-220 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria |
| Parent Department: | Government of Nigeria |
| Child1 Agency: | Nigerian Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force) |
| Child5 Agency: | Defence Intelligence Agency (Nigeria) |
| Website: | http://defence.gov.ng |
The Ministry of Defence is a government ministry of Nigeria with the statutory responsibility of overseeing and supervising the Nigerian Armed Forces. The Ministry of Defence is headed by the Minister of Defence, a cabinet-level head who reports directly to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Its main mission is to provide administrative and support services, timely and effectively to enable the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The Ministry of Defence came into being on 1 October 1958, when the War Office granted control of the armed forces to the national government - earlier discussions were made that made the establishment of Ministry of Defence. In 1956, at the time of the visit of Queen Elizabeth II, the Nigeria Regiment was renamed The Queen's Own Nigeria Regiment, Royal West African Frontier Force as a mark of allegiance to the Queen of the United Kingdom (and later the Queen of Nigeria). On 1 May 1958, the Naval Defence Force (NDF) was legally established as a force and re-designated Royal Nigerian Navy (RNN). On 1 June 1958, the British Army Council in London relinquished control of Nigerian Military Force (NMF) to the Nigerian Government. Upon its creation, the ministry was given responsibility over the two branches of the military in existence at that time the Royal Nigerian Army and the Royal Nigerian Navy and later oversaw the founding of the Nigerian Air Force in 1964.
Sani Abacha served as defence minister while also acting as head of state in the 1990s.[1]
The goal of the defense ministry for the return of democratic rule was to reposition the military serve as defender of the elected constitutional government.[2]
In April 2022, the Permanent Secretary Ibrahim Kana, announced that the federal government had concluded plans to create a brand new Ministry of Defence, with the goal being to have various services operating under the same roof in a "Pentagon-like style", enhancing civil-military co-operation and ending the dichotomy between the services and the ministry.[3]
The objectives of the Ministry of Defence which are derived from the National Defence Policy are as follows:[4]
The ministry is headquartered at the Ship House, Abuja. The organizational structure of the Ministry is made up of the civilian and military components. The Minister of Defence, appointed by the President of Nigeria with the consent of the Senate, is the political head of the Ministry of Defence. The Minister is sometimes assisted by the Minister of State. The Permanent Secretary is the Accounting and Chief Administrative Officer of the Ministry. He coordinates and directs the activities of the Departments and Units in the Ministry.
The Armed Forces Services Headquarters of the Ministry comprise the following:
The control of the Armed Forces, their joint operations and training rest with the Chief of Defence Staff Nigeria who coordinates the three Services while the three Service Chiefs are responsible for the day to day running of their respective Services.
The civilization cell are nine operational departments within the Ministry each headed by a civilian director:
The civilian cell under the operational control of a civilian Director of the Nigerian Civil Service with others including:
Recently, the Office of the Director under the (Office of the Permanent Secretary) Special Duties was created to oversee the following units in the Ministry:
In addition, three agencies are subsumed under the Ministry: The Defence Mission, the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), and the Defence Intelligence School. Other defence parastatals include the Military Pension Board (MPB), Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC), and the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON). The Ministry of Defence also supervises tri-service training institutions, including the National Defence College (NDC), Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji (AFCSC), and the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA).
See main article: Defence Minister of Nigeria.