10 Things to Know About Newly Appointed Chief of Defence Staff, Olufemi Oluyede

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede as Nigeria’s new Chief of Defence Staff, marking a major change in the nation’s security leadership.

Here are ten key facts about the new Defence Chief;

1. He was born in 1968 in Ikere, Ekiti State, Nigeria.
2. Oluyede joined the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) as part of the 39th Regular Course, beginning his military career in 1987 and commissioned as Second Lieutenant in 1992.
3. On 30 October 2024, he was appointed Acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS) by Bola Tinubu, subsequently confirmed by the House of Representatives and officially assumed office on 9 December 2024.
4. Prior to his current post, he served as the 56th Commander of the Infantry Corps of the Nigerian Army in Jaji, Kaduna State, a key leadership position.
5. His promotion to Lieutenant General (“Lt Gen”) accompanied his new role as COAS – reflecting his seniority and credentials.
6. Oluyede’s career includes significant domestic operational experience, especially in infantry command and internal security operations in Nigeria’s northeast and other hot-zones.
7. His appointment is viewed as a part of President Tinubu’s wider security leadership reshuffle, signalling a renewed focus on professionalisation and operations.
8. He emphasised readiness to lead the army to fulfil its constitutional responsibilities, citing his years of experience at senior management level.
9. Among his priorities will likely be boosting inter-service coordination (army, navy, air force), improving intelligence share, and enhancing troop morale and logistics.
10. His performance in office will be closely watched, especially regarding Nigeria’s key security challenges: insurgency, banditry, maritime insecurity, and internal stability.