...... As General Musa Urges National Unity, Strong Institutions to Combat Global Fragility
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Gwabin Musa, has been conferred Fellowship of the TETFund Centre of Excellence in Security Management, in recognition of his strategic leadership and contributions to national security.
The conferment took place on Wesnesday during a public lecture titled “Global Fragility and Security Management in Nigeria” at the University of Ibadan. The well-attended event drew a wide audience of academics, students, defence personnel, civil society actors, and policy experts.
CDS General Musa called for greater national unity, institutional strengthening, and enhanced global partnerships to tackle the rising threats posed by global fragility and internal insecurity in Nigeria.
According to a statement by the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, the lecture provided an in-depth analysis of how global issues—such as terrorism, climate change, cyber threats, and geopolitical conflicts—are impacting Nigeria’s internal security landscape.
“The world today is more interconnected than ever, and fragility in one region has immediate consequences in others,” General Musa said. He referenced the collapse of governance in Libya and instability across the Sahel as major contributors to the spread of arms and extremist ideologies in Nigeria.
The Defence Chief also highlighted the security consequences of environmental degradation, particularly in the shrinking Lake Chad Basin, which he said has displaced millions and escalated resource-based conflicts in border communities.
He further explained how global economic shocks, including the ongoing war in Ukraine, have exacerbated food insecurity and inflation across developing nations. The rise of cyber threats and foreign-sponsored disinformation campaigns, he warned, are also undermining Nigeria’s stability.
To address these complex challenges, General Musa outlined Nigeria’s evolving security architecture, anchored in the National Defence Policy and driven by a Whole-of-Government, Whole-of-Society approach.
He identified key advancements such as the integration of UAVs and artificial intelligence for intelligence gathering, regional collaboration with ECOWAS and the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), the establishment of cyber commands, and the empowerment of community-based security initiatives
Despite the progress, the CDS acknowledged the persistence of challenges including porous borders, the influx of illicit arms, weak governance in rural areas, and external pressures from conditional arms deals and disinformation.
To ensure lasting security and resilience, General Musa proposed a four-pronged strategy:
1. Strengthening institutions, especially the judiciary, security services, and democratic systems;
2. Economic empowerment through youth development and entrepreneurship;
3. Building community resilience via intelligence-sharing and local early warning systems; and
4. Deepening global partnerships for intelligence cooperation and alignment with international best practices.
He also urged Nigerian academic institutions to take a more active role in national security discourse through research, innovation, and mentorship. “The University of Ibadan must continue to lead in producing knowledge that shapes our security strategies and nurtures future leaders,” he stated.
In his concluding remarks, the CDS reaffirmed the Armed Forces’ unwavering commitment to safeguarding the nation, noting that he is acting on the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to collaborate with all relevant agencies to confront Nigeria’s evolving security threats.
“Security is not merely the absence of conflict, but the presence of justice, opportunity, and hope,” he declared.
The lecture, chaired by former Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai (represented by Lt Gen Lamidi Adeosun), was widely applauded by dignitaries in attendance, including the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof. K.O. Adebowale, GOC 2 Division, Maj Gen OG Onubogu, and other senior military officers, both serving and retired.