The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (Rtd), has called for stronger collaboration between academic institutions and security agencies to address Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.
General Musa made the call on Friday, October 30, 2026, at the commissioning of the CG Musa Security Management Hub at the TETFund Centre of Excellence, University of Ibadan, where he served as Special Guest of Honour.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Leah Katung-Babatunde, said the facility was established to promote evidence-based research, strategic dialogue and whole-of-nation security frameworks.
Reflecting on the facility’s inception during his guest lecture on global fragility at the university in July 2025, the Minister said lasting national security could not be achieved through military force alone.
He noted that academic institutions provided the intellectual foundation for examining the root causes of insecurity and developing sustainable solutions.
General Musa said that under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Nigerian Government remained committed to strengthening national security through institutional reforms, improved operational capabilities, strategic partnerships and evidence-based analysis.
The Minister noted that while ground forces had intensified field operations and made progress across operational sectors, effective national defence required active civic participation and whole-of-nation vigilance.
He urged the university leadership to develop collaborative programmes bringing together scholars, military professionals, law enforcement agencies, policymakers and technology experts.
He said the initiatives should focus particularly on intelligence analysis, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, conflict prevention, crisis management and community engagement.
General Musa commended the project facilitators, including Professor B.A. Aluko, Professor Ayo Albert, the General Officer Commanding 2 Division and personnel of 2 Division Engineers, for their technical contributions to the completion of the hub.
The Minister also paid tribute to the outgoing Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor K.O. Adebowale, congratulating him on the successful completion of his tenure.
Professor Adebowale, in response, expressed appreciation to the Minister for fulfilling his institutional commitment.
