By ZAKAA LAZARUS
In the forests of Borno, the creeks of the Niger Delta and the ungoverned spaces of the North-West, Nigerian soldiers fight a war that has since changed.
The enemy is no longer a uniformed combatant on a defined frontline. He is invisible in cyberspace, mobile in his financing, sophisticated in his propaganda and brutal in his methods.
For the soldier in the trench, courage has never been in short supply. What is often missing, experts warn, is what actually wins modern wars: timely funding, modern equipment, real-time intelligence and a nation that understands the fight.
That blunt truth dominated the 2026 Conference of the Defence Correspondents Association of Nigeria (DECAN) in Abuja, where lawmakers, military chiefs, security experts and journalists confronted an uncomfortable question is Nigeria still fighting 21st-century terrorism with 20th-century tools?
Former Senate President Ahmed Lawan, now Chairman of the Senate Committee on Defence, did not mince words.
He said while the National Assembly has consistently approved and even increased defence budgets, the slow release of funds remains a silent threat to operations.
“Delays in releasing approved funds can undermine military operations and the welfare of personnel,” Lawan said.
To a civilian, it sounds like bureaucracy. To a commander waiting for spare parts for an MRAP, for fuel for air surveillance, or for allowances for troops who have not seen their families in months, it can mean the difference between success and casualty.
Lawan assured that the legislature would continue to prioritise defence spending, commending President Bola Tinubu’s administration for providing additional resources, but admitted that more deliberate action was needed to ensure money appropriated becomes money deployed.
He also made a moral appeal: Nigerians must recognise the sacrifices of those who stand between the nation and anarchy.
If Lawan spoke for the wallet, DECAN President, Mr Odita Sunday, spoke for the brain of modern warfare.
Sunday argued that Nigeria must move decisively from a reactive, kinetic approach where troops respond after an attack to a preventive, intelligence-led doctrine.
“Terrorism and organised crime are increasingly moving beyond conventional battlefields into cyberspace, digital communication networks and financial systems,” he warned.
His prescription is a future that many militaries are already living: artificial intelligence to predict threat patterns, data analytics to track terror financing, satellite surveillance to monitor vast forests, and secure, interoperable communication systems that allow the Army, Air Force, Police and DSS to share intelligence in real time, not in silos.
Beyond technology, Sunday stressed the human element better training, stronger institutional cooperation and sound policies that allow intelligence to drive operations, not politics.
He also paused to mourn the reported Nigerian Air Force aircraft crash, calling for a thorough investigation a reminder that even the tools of war need constant safeguarding.
Perhaps the most sobering intervention came from the Permanent Secretary, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Dr Ibrahim Kana, who drew attention to the double-edged sword of social media.
In an age where an AI-generated fake video can undo months of operational gains, where rumours travel faster than official briefings, information management has become a national security imperative.
His warning aligned with that of the Defence Headquarters, which has raised alarm over deepfakes, cloned voices and false operational claims designed to incite fear and discredit troops.
By the end of the conference, a common message emerged from uniforms and civilians alike: firepower alone will not win this war.
Nigeria needs a new equation adequate and timely resources plus credible intelligence, plus technological innovation, plus trust between the military, the media and the citizen.
As one participant put it, the soldier needs more than a rifle. He needs a satellite above him, intelligence before him, funding behind him and a people who believe in him.
That is how modern wars are won.
