Confronting Nigeria’s Multi-dimensional Security Challenges Through Whole-of-Society, Partnership-based Approach

With terrorism, banditry and transnational crime threatening Nigeria, the need for enduring international partnerships and regional cooperation to confront such evolving security threats has never been more pressing. At a side meeting during the just-concluded 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the imperative for ECOWAS, the African Union (AU), neighbouring countries and global partners to work together was highlighted, while security experts advocated intelligence sharing, community participation and economic recovery. Chiemelie Ezeobi, who participated, reports In the Sahel, where insecurity crosses national boundaries, political divisions among countries facing common threats present an additional challenge to efforts to restore stability. For Nigeria, whose security concerns are connected to developments across West Africa, tackling terrorism and banditry requires not only stronger domestic security institutions but also renewed cooperation among neighbouring countries, regional organisations and international partners. Sahel Disunity and the Need for Cooperation Undoubtedly, the withdrawal of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), effective January 29, 2025, following military coups in the three countries, has complicated regional relations. The political divisions following the coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger reinforce the importance of keeping security cooperation open across West Africa. Although the three countries have left ECOWAS, their fight against armed groups remains connected to the security of their neighbours. For Nigeria, the priority is to ensure that diplomatic differences do not prevent intelligence sharing, border coordination and practical cooperation against terrorism. Confronting Nigeria’s Multi-dimensional Security Challenges It was against this backdrop that Nigeria’s Ministry of Defence convened a high-level side event during the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81) High-Level Week in New York. The central message of the meeting, themed “Confronting Nigeria’s Multidimensional Security Challenges: A Whole-of-Society and Partnership-Based Approach,” was that no country or institution can independently resolve the region’s security challenges. Nigeria’s response, therefore, must combine military operations with intelligence cooperation, effective governance, community participation, economic development and enduring regional and international partnerships. These and many other issues were deliberated on by the panel, moderated by Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, former Chief of Staff to former President Muhammadu Buhari. Gambari, recalling Nigeria’s concentric-circles foreign policy, stressed the need for Africa to contribute actively to global frameworks, particularly in artificial intelligence. Sustainable Security Requires Collective Action As the convener, the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd), OFR, said Nigeria’s security challenges had national, regional and international implications, making cooperation 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. Musa identified terrorism, banditry, cyber threats, oil theft and organised criminal activities among the country’s security concerns, while highlighting porous borders, governance challenges, socioeconomic vulnerabilities, ethnic and religious tensions, and political and social divisions as factors that compound insecurity. “These challenges do not exist in isolation. They interact with, reinforce, and at times amplify one another, exploiting many of the same vulnerabilities. Our response must therefore be equally interconnected and comprehensive,” he said. While acknowledging the importance of military operations, the minister stressed that lasting peace required more than force, adding that “while military and other security operations remain essential to protecting our citizens and territorial integrity, we recognise that lasting peace and stability cannot be achieved through military action alone. Sustainable security requires resilient communities, effective institutions, inclusive development, and good governance”. He called for stronger coordination among federal, state and local institutions, alongside engagement with traditional and religious leaders, civil society, community organisations and the private sector. “Our objective must be to evolve from a system that primarily reacts to insecurity towards one that is increasingly capable of anticipating threats, preventing violence, addressing underlying vulnerabilities, and building lasting societal resilience,” he

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