The Fight against Insecurity and Successes recorded under President Bola Tinubu

Nigeria is multi-cultural, diverse, and endowed with abundant natural and mineral resources.  In recent years, the country has been confronted with many security challenges, ranging from Boko Haram insurgency, terrorism, and kidnappings to banditry as well as various tribal agitations.

The Boko Haram insurgency remains one of the major security threats in Nigeria with groups’ attacks targeting religious and social gatherings.  The Boko Haram attacks have often resulted in the killing and abduction of innocent people in communities in Nigeria and across border communities in Niger, Chad, and Cameroon.

During the inauguration of President Bola Tinubu on May 29, 2023, he promised to tackle the issue of insecurity with the Armed Forces of Nigeria as the arrowhead in the fight.

The President followed the promise with political will, mandating the Nigerian armed forces to work hard to secure all parts of the country.  President Tinubu also demonstrated his administration’s resolve to tackle the challenge of insecurity by increasing budgetary allocations to the military.  This has yielded positive results despite some incidents of killings, abductions, and attacks in some areas of the country.

In the 2023 budget, 3.25 trillion naira was allocated to defense and security, marking 12% of the Budget allocation to critical security needs for the Military, Police, and other security and Intelligence agencies.

A significant success story of President Tinubu’s administration was the release of about 300 kidnapped school children recently abducted from their schools in Kaduna state, North-West Nigeria without the payment of ransom.   President Tinubu’s administration also invested resources to curtail terrorism with measures to protect and preserve the lives and property of citizens as well as foreigners who live and do business in Nigeria.

In August 2023 when new Service Chiefs were sworn in, President Tinubu acknowledged that Nigeria was recording positive results despite the challenges, and called for team spirit between the service chiefs to overcome the security challenges in Nigeria.

The call by President Tinubu to security agencies, particularly the Nigerian military, for collaboration, intelligence gathering, and sharing and the development of effective strategies to win the war on terror is still relevant to ensure the safeguarding of the country’s territorial borders.

The acquisition of modern weapons has also leveraged the fight against insecurity in Nigeria.   Such arms and equipment as two new T-129 ATAK helicopters and a King Air 360ER Beech craft inducted into the Order of Battle, ORBAT of the Nigerian Air Force at the Nigeria Air Force Base in Makurdi Benue state have gone a long way in contributing to the successes being recorded in the fight against all forms of criminalities in Nigeria.

This symbolizes President Tinubu’s enduring commitment to investment in national security as well as a solemn commitment to ensure a stable, peaceful, and strong nation.

The Nigerian leader also expressed confidence that the deployment of the acquired platforms would significantly enhance the combat efficiency of the Nigerian Air Force in tackling contemporary security challenges domestically and in West Africa.

In September 2023, President Tinubu called on the United Nations to provide more support to Nigeria in its fight against insurgency, emphasizing that terrorism poses a danger to democracy and national development.

It’s clear that insecurity affects economic growth with low investment inflows, increasing unemployment, and dwindling government revenue that impacts security. These in the long run reflected on the performance of macroeconomic indicators, investments as well as economic performance.

As of 2020, over $40.6 billion in foreign investments were diverted from Nigeria as a result of insecurity, according to the global terrorism index with drastic implications for job creation and economic prosperity and a decline in the purchasing power of most Nigerians.

Nigeria under President Tinubu’s leadership needs to provide viable solutions to insecurity by reducing unemployment critical to guaranteeing a safe society with productive individuals, working to make Nigeria great again.

To be secured, Nigeria must upgrade its leadership recruitment criteria and also interrogate the type of education given to the younger generation so that it will guarantee citizens’ safety for a secure future for the people.

There is an urgent need for the Nigerian government to enhance collaboration with neighboring countries and international partners to face common enemies towards dismantling transnational criminal networks involved in kidnapping and other illicit activities.

President Tinubu’s administration should invest in technology and infrastructure as well as training and equipping security operatives with long-term team solutions towards enhancing operational effectiveness and timely response capabilities.

Nigeria’s ability to tackle the challenges of insecurity requires holistic and multi-faceted approaches.  This entails good governance, community engagement, strategic coordination among security agencies, and long-term investments in education and socio-economic development.  This will lead to the desired outcomes needed to bring positive change in the fight against insecurity.  It will also restore lasting peace and security in Nigeria and West Africa.