The Minister of Defence, retired General Christopher Musa, has stressed the need for stronger international partnerships. He spoke on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York. The focus is terrorism, banditry, oil theft and cybercrime. Musa said the strategy involves government, communities, international partners and the private sector.
Nigeria has fought Boko Haram since 2009. The conflict has killed over 35,000 people. Banditry has killed thousands more in the northwest. Oil theft costs billions annually. Each threat has local roots and regional consequences. Nigeria has sought international support before. In 2014, the Paris summit coordinated regional action against Boko Haram. In 2023, Nigeria joined the Global Coalition against Daesh. The demand for partnership is not new. Implementation has been uneven.
Musa said Nigeria’s challenges are interconnected. “Nigeria’s security challenges are national in their impact, regional in their consequences, and increasingly international in their implications,” he said. He said military action alone cannot achieve lasting peace. Nigeria is seeking partnerships with the UN, AU, ECOWAS and bilateral partners.
The government is pursuing multiple measures. Recruitment of 22,000 personnel. Restructuring of Army divisions. Stronger subnational security. Proposals for state police and forest guards. Retired Major-General Adeyinka Famadewa, Special Adviser on Homeland Security, said the strategy is shifting from capability-driven to threat-driven. “Defence is expensive,” he said. “You need to prioritise.” A five-year framework is being developed. It includes domestic defence production.
Winners: The Defence Ministry, which shows strategy. International partners, who gain a framework. Security agencies, which gain resources. Losers: Terrorists and bandits, if partnerships work. Taxpayers, if spending is inefficient. Nigerians in conflict zones, if results lag.
Bottom Line: Nigeria wants global partnerships. The threats are interconnected. Military action alone has failed. A threat-driven strategy is sensible. Implementation is the test.