The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, on Thursday, July 24, 2025, at the University of Ibadan, stated that Nigeria is collaborating with the military authorities of Niger Republic, Burkina Faso, and Mali to strengthen the fight against transnational security threats in the West African sub-region.
Speaking on the topic “Global Fragility and Security Management in Nigeria,” General Musa maintained that the interconnected nature of nations has made it imperative to collaborate and strengthen partnerships beyond Nigeria’s borders.
Identifying porous borders as a key factor contributing to insecurity in the country, General Musa reiterated his call for Nigeria to fence strategic border areas to enhance security management and reduce vulnerability. “Politically, the three countries of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso may have exited ECOWAS, but militarily, we still work together because we understand that we must collaborate to protect one another. Politically, we must reach out to them because if we don’t help them stand strong, the effect will come to us,” he said.
General Musa noted that fencing borders to enhance security must be intentional, adding that Nigeria could learn from Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan, which have implemented strategic border fencing to improve security management.
He also emphasised the need to allow local government administration to function optimally in Nigeria, noting that since crimes and criminality are localised, a functional local government system would reduce security threats. If local governments are working in the country, it will reduce the level of insecurity. Crimes and criminality are localised, and each local government chairman can begin to address their own security because they know those who are criminals,” he said.
He stressed the need for Nigeria to be deliberate in developing a comprehensive national database to track citizens and improve security management, adding that youth empowerment, reducing unemployment and poverty, and ensuring affordable education would enhance youth resilience against criminality.
The chairman of the occasion and former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, represented by Lieutenant General Lamidi Adeosun, said that the problems of insecurity facing Nigeria are “exacerbated by governance deficits, including weak institutions, corruption, and lack of accountability.”
To ensure effective security management, Buratai stated that “a multifaceted approach encompassing governance reforms, security sector improvements, and strategic interventions to address the root causes of conflict and promote sustainable peace, as well as socioeconomic development initiatives, is necessary. It is also important to strengthen our border security through innovative solutions and trained personnel to control the flow of illicit goods and prevent the proliferation of weapons aiming to destabilise national security.”
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Kayode Adebowale, noted in his speech that “our world grapples with interconnected crises—climate-induced displacement, transnational terrorism, economic inequality, and geopolitical tensions—that amplify vulnerabilities in fragile states.”
He pledged that the University of Ibadan would continue to support security management through research conducted by its researchers to aid security sector policy formulation.
The Acting Director of the TETFUND Centre of Excellence in Security Management, Dr Benjamin Aluko, further stated that the centre would deploy all the resources in “our intellectual arsenal to support you in achieving your mandate while trusting God to use you to strengthen our capacity to effectively deliver on the vision and mission of the centre.”
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