The newly appointed Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, on Wednesday said his tenure as the Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) was “very challenging”.

Oluyede disclosed this during his screening by the Senate.

Addressing the lawmakers, he noted that while significant progress had been made in improving national security, more work remained to be done.

“My tenure has been quite challenging, and while things have improved tremendously, we can do better.

“It requires a whole-of-society approach. It’s important for all hands to be on deck to make Nigeria safer,” he added.

Reflecting on his experience in that role, he spoke about the immense demands of military leadership and the sacrifices required to maintain national security.

“It required cognate experience, sleepless nights, and total dedication to the safety of our nation. We all know resources are limited, but Nigeria must build its own capacity to confront emerging security threats from terrorism to cybercrime.

“If we fail to manage information effectively, our challenges will persist,” the military officer stated.

He underscored the importance of strengthening local defense capacity and developing homegrown solutions to national security problems.

After his presentation, the Senate expressed satisfaction with his responses and subsequently allowed the CDS to take a bow and leave.

He however remains in the Chamber.

Oloyede is one of the new service chiefs appointed by President Bola Tinubu.

Others are Major-General W. Shaibu as the new Chief of Army Staff, Air Vice Marshall S. K. Aneke as the Chief of Air Staff, while Rear Admiral I. Abbas is the new Chief of Naval Staff.

Chief of Defence Intelligence Major-General E.A.P Undiendeye retains his position, according to a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President, Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, last Friday.

Born in 1968, the new CDS previously served as the 24th Chief of Army Staff.