Nigeria has called for a comprehensive, partnership-based and whole-of-society approach to tackling the country’s evolving security challenges and wider threats across the Sahel region.
The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd), made the call during a high-level side event on the margins of the 81st United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week in New York.
Speaking before diplomats, security practitioners and representatives of the United Nations, African Union and ECOWAS, Musa said Nigeria’s security challenges have national, regional and global implications, making collective action essential.
He said sustainable security requires resilient communities, effective institutions, inclusive development and good governance, stressing that Nigeria cannot address the emerging security threats alone.
The event, themed “Confronting Nigeria’s Multidimensional Security Challenges: A Whole-of-Society and Partnership-Based Approach,” highlighted several measures being implemented under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
These include the recruitment of an additional 22,000 personnel into the Armed Forces, expansion and reorganisation of the Nigerian Army’s divisional structure, and ongoing plans for state police and dedicated forest guards to strengthen security in rural and border communities.
The Minister also disclosed that government had approved a unified intelligence and reconnaissance programme aimed at eliminating operational silos, improving situational awareness and strengthening interoperability among Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
Musa further highlighted efforts to strengthen domestic defence production through the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), as well as the deployment of advanced technologies, including drones for real-time surveillance and Improvised Explosive Device detection.
He said the government was also advancing plans for a comprehensive national criminal database as part of broader efforts to strengthen internal security.
The panel, moderated by former Chief of Staff to the President and former Minister of External Affairs, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, also examined homeland security, border management, economic security, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
Special Adviser on Homeland Security, Major General Adeyinka T. Famadewa (Rtd), called for intelligence fusion, integrated response capabilities and systems that would protect citizens who report security threats.
Former MNJTF Force Commander, Major General A.K. Ibrahim (Rtd), advocated community-based border security solutions, implementation of the Office of the National Security Adviser’s Border Management Strategy, revitalisation of the MNJTF and stronger action against terrorist taxation and financial networks.
Former CBN Deputy Governor, Dr. Kingsley Obiora, said economic stability remained a critical component of national security and proposed designated economic zones to promote business recovery in conflict-affected areas.
Prof. Mvemba Phezo Dizolele of Johns Hopkins University urged African countries to develop security solutions suited to their specific circumstances rather than relying on external templates.
Cybersecurity expert, Omosigho Ozo-Eson, meanwhile, warned against excessive dependence on foreign artificial intelligence systems and called for stronger protection of Critical National Infrastructure and the development of indigenous cyber-defence capabilities.
In his closing remarks, Musa reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to tackling terrorism and banditry while acknowledging the importance of international defence cooperation, including with the United States.
He noted that although regional mechanisms such as the MNJTF receive support from international partners including the European Union, African countries must increasingly finance and sustain their own security frameworks to guarantee regional ownership.
“Our objective should be straightforward,” Musa said. “We should not merely reaffirm our understanding of the challenges; we should seek to identify concrete areas of cooperation, clear responsibilities, and practical next steps.”
Earlier, the Director Overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Mrs Bosede Olaniyi, welcomed participants and urged robust engagement that would produce tangible outcomes for national development.
