The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd), has identified sustainable national security, good governance and credible institutions as critical foundations for Nigeria’s ambition to build a trillion-dollar economy.
Musa stated this while delivering a keynote address titled “National Security: Pathway to a Trillion-Dollar Economy” at the 56th Annual Accountants’ Conference of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja.
In a press statement issued by the Special Assistant (Media) to the Minister, Leah Katung-Babatunde, the minister said national security must be viewed beyond conventional military operations and law enforcement to include the protection of human capital, critical infrastructure and the business environment.
He stressed that a secure environment was essential for attracting long-term investments, stimulating economic activities and sustaining national development.
“No investor commits capital where lives and assets are not safe, and no economy grows beyond the reach of its security,” Musa said.
Acknowledging Nigeria’s security challenges, including attacks on communities, highway kidnappings and isolated insurgent activities, the minister expressed confidence that ongoing operations by the Armed Forces of Nigeria were helping to restore stability across economic corridors, agricultural belts and industrial zones.
Aligning the ministry’s priorities with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Musa outlined key areas where security could support economic growth.
These include protecting strategic economic assets, promoting good governance and human capital development, strengthening financial discipline in the defence sector, enhancing cybersecurity and financial intelligence, and expanding domestic defence industrial capacity.
The minister also announced the establishment of a joint Ministry of Defence–ICAN Implementation Committee to develop frameworks for collaboration proposed by ICAN President, Hajia Queensley Seghosime.
According to him, the partnership will focus on specialised training in public financial management and accounting standards for Armed Forces personnel, alongside joint programmes in forensic accounting and financial intelligence to combat terrorism financing.
The collaboration will also address corporate governance and welfare schemes for veterans, strengthening institutional accountability and support for retired military personnel.
Musa commended ICAN for its commitment to fiscal discipline and transparency, noting that effective financial management, combined with a secure national environment, would be essential to Nigeria’s long-term economic prosperity.
He maintained that sustained collaboration between the defence sector and professional financial institutions would help strengthen accountability, protect national assets and create the conditions necessary for inclusive economic growth.
