Insecurity: FG Shifts to Threat-Driven Strategy, Seeks Global Support

The Minister of Defence, retired Gen. Christopher Musa, has stressed the need for stronger international partnerships to tackle terrorism, banditry, oil theft, cybercrime, and other emerging security threats.

Musa made the call on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, saying such a strategy would require the involvement of government, communities, international partners, and the private sector.

According to him, Nigeria's security challenges have grown too interconnected for any single institution or country to address alone. "Nigeria's security challenges are national in their impact, regional in their consequences, and increasingly international in their implications," he said.

Military Action Alone Not Enough

Musa explained that while military and other security operations remain essential to protecting Nigerian citizens and the country's territorial integrity, lasting peace and stability cannot be achieved through military action alone. He said Nigeria is therefore seeking practical partnerships with the United Nations, African Union, ECOWAS, bilateral partners, civil society, researchers, and the private sector to strengthen its security capabilities and institutions.

The minister stressed that the government is pursuing several measures, including the recruitment of an additional 22,000 personnel, restructuring of Army divisions, stronger subnational security arrangements, and proposals for state police and forest guards.

Shift From Capability-Driven to Threat-Driven Strategy

Retired Maj.-Gen. Adeyinka Famadewa, Special Adviser to the President on Homeland Security, said Nigeria is transitioning from a capability-driven to a threat-driven security strategy. According to him, this approach would identify the country's major threats, determine existing capability gaps, and prioritise resources for addressing them.

"The national security strategy document, I know, is a draft review, but this is what we're trying to do, like I said during the engagement, meant that we are moving from capability-driven to threat-driven. Defense is a very expensive venture. So, you need to prioritize," Famadewa said.

He explained that the process would involve developing a five-year framework for acquiring critical capabilities while strengthening Nigeria's domestic defence-production capacity. He added that government would also review previous security assumptions and develop new approaches to ensure the safety of Nigerians. "We are bringing out new methods of achieving the objective of ensuring that every Nigerian is safe and Nigeria prospers," he said.

Famadewa reiterated that government cannot guarantee national security alone, urging citizens to remain vigilant and support security agencies with useful information.