Nigerian Senate Plans To Hold Two-Day National Security Summit

The Nigerian Senate has planned to hold a two-day national security summit to find solutions to the country’s growing insecurity.

This decision was made after Senator Jimoh Ibrahim from Ondo South raised a motion during Tuesday’s plenary.

While presenting the motion, Ibrahim linked rising global insecurity to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and growing tensions between the global north and south.

He noted that these issues have worsened food shortages and slowed progress on sustainable development goals.

He also pointed out that economic conflicts like America’s tariff war and new global immigration policies are reshaping the world, with countries now selling citizenship or cancelling visas.

“This new order reflects in immigration policies, visa cancellations by new regimes, and countries raising funds by selling citizenship — all of which fuel economic conflict and undermine globalisation pursued over the last sixty years,” he said.

“The next world war may not even require the fanfare of militarism. The incredible growing economic war is gaining ground with destructive innovation in security globally.”

Ibrahim described Nigeria’s security situation as alarming, with violence spreading across cities and rural areas.

He emphasized that while President Bola Tinubu is focused on national security, Nigeria needs stronger intelligence support and modern strategies to tackle insecurity.

The senator said, “Most military strategies and languages are no longer exclusive to the military.

“There is a need for alternative language in military engagement as well as enhanced funding to advance the professional practices and respected tradition of the future military.”

He called for a fact-based national security summit to recommend practical and long-term solutions.

Other senators supported the motion, with Senator Mohammed Dandutse noting that weak coordination among security agencies is a key challenge.

“Nigeria is blessed, we have no other country except Nigeria. We have to face these criminals squarely. No country succeeds except with peace and security.

“The security agencies are given funding, so there is a need for the judicious spending of these resources,” Dandutse said.

However, a few senators, including Enyinnaya Abaribe and Adamu Aliero, expressed doubts about the effectiveness of such a summit.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio put the motion to a voice vote and a majority of senators voted in favour of the summit.

Akpabio adjusted the original proposal from three days to two and announced that a special committee would be formed to plan the event.

The summit will take place in Abuja and involve participants from all tiers of government, as well as traditional leaders.

The Senate also urged the federal government to update its security policies based on the summit’s outcomes.

KanyiDaily recalls that President Bola Tinubu recently ordered top security officials to put an end to the rising violence in several parts of Nigeria, especially in Plateau, Borno, and Benue states.