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By Kabi Abdulsalam
Nigeria is set to recruit an additional 22,000 personnel into the Armed Forces as part of measures to strengthen national security and address evolving threats across the country and the wider Sahel region.
The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (retd.), disclosed this during a high-level side event organised by the Ministry of Defence on the margins of the 81st United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week in New York.
The event, themed “Confronting Nigeria’s Multidimensional Security Challenges: A Whole-of-Society and Partnership-Based Approach,” brought together diplomats, security practitioners and representatives of the United Nations, African Union and Economic Community of West African States.
Musa said the government was also implementing a unified intelligence and reconnaissance programme to eliminate operational silos, improve situational awareness and strengthen coordination among Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
He explained that Nigeria’s security challenges had national, regional and global implications, making international cooperation and collective action essential.
“Our recognition that we cannot address these challenges alone is not a statement of dependence; rather, it is an acknowledgement of the multidimensional character of modern security threats and the importance of collective action,” he said.
The minister listed the recruitment of additional military personnel and the expansion and reorganisation of the Nigerian Army’s divisional structure among the measures being implemented under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He also highlighted ongoing initiatives towards the establishment of state police and dedicated forest guard arrangements to secure rural and border communities.
According to him, the approved unified intelligence and reconnaissance programme would strengthen interoperability across government institutions and address gaps in intelligence coordination.
Musa further disclosed that the government was strengthening domestic defence production through support for the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria to promote self-reliance and reduce dependence on external sources of military equipment.
He added that advanced technological assets, including drones for real-time surveillance and improvised explosive device detection, were being integrated into security operations.
The minister also cited the rollout of a comprehensive national criminal database as part of efforts to improve intelligence gathering and crime prevention.
The discussion featured a panel moderated by Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, former Chief of Staff to the President and Minister of External Affairs.
Gambari recalled Nigeria’s concentric-circles foreign policy and urged African countries to play an active role in shaping global frameworks, particularly in the area of artificial intelligence.
Speaking on homeland security and early warning systems, the Special Adviser on Homeland Security, Major General Adeyinka T. Famadewa (retd.), advocated intelligence fusion, integrated response capabilities and systems for protecting citizens who report security threats.
A former Force Commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force, Major General A.K. Ibrahim (retd.), called for community-based border security solutions, the implementation of the Office of the National Security Adviser’s Border Management Strategy and the revitalisation of the MNJTF.
He also urged intensified efforts to disrupt terrorist taxation and financial networks.
The panel discussion also examined the connection between economic stability and national security.
A former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr Kingsley Obiora, proposed the establishment of designated economic zones, drawing from Colombia’s experience, to promote business recovery in conflict-affected areas.
Prof. Mvemba Phezo Dizolele of Johns Hopkins University cautioned against the wholesale adoption of external security models, advocating solutions developed around African realities and local communities.
A cybersecurity expert, Mr Omosigho Ozo-Eson, warned against overdependence 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 eradicating terrorism and banditry while acknowledging the importance of defence cooperation with international partners, including the United States.
He stressed that African countries must increasingly finance and sustain regional security frameworks to guarantee regional ownership.
The minister noted that while mechanisms such as the MNJTF receive support from foreign partners, including the European Union, African member states needed to strengthen their capacity to sustain these arrangements.
He also highlighted efforts to improve legal frameworks, protect health workers in high-risk areas and promote a stable business environment capable of attracting investment.
“Our objective should be straightforward. 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,” Musa said.
Earlier in her welcome address, the Director Overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Mrs Bosede Olaniyi, called for robust engagement that would produce meaningful results for national development.
The statement was signed by Leah Katung-Baba
tunde, Special Adviser (Media) to the Minister of Defence.
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