FG Unveils Homeland Security Strategy to Boost Intelligence, Border Surveillance

The Federal Government has unveiled a new homeland security strategy aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture through improved inter-agency collaboration, enhanced intelligence sharing and the deployment of modern technology to address emerging security threats.

The initiative was unveiled at the maiden Homeland Security Stakeholders’ Meeting convened in Abuja by the Special Adviser to the President on Homeland Security, retired Major General Adeyinka Famadewa.

Addressing heads and representatives of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Famadewa said the initiative reflected President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to building a resilient and secure homeland security ecosystem capable of responding effectively to evolving security challenges.

He stressed that tackling contemporary threats required stronger institutional coordination, seamless intelligence sharing and sustained synergy among government agencies, noting that no single institution could effectively address the country’s security challenges in isolation.

The meeting identified four strategic priorities, including the establishment of a unified national surveillance programme to enhance situational awareness, strengthening identity verification systems to prevent criminal exploitation of anonymous platforms, deploying technology-driven and intelligence-led border security operations, and creating rapid detection and emergency response mechanisms to tackle security threats proactively.

Famadewa explained that the mandate of the Office of the Special Adviser on Homeland Security was designed to complement existing security structures rather than duplicate their functions. He commended the Armed Forces and other security agencies for their sacrifices in restoring peace across the country, while emphasising the importance of non-kinetic approaches in promoting long-term national resilience.

Participants at the meeting deliberated on practical measures to align their institutional mandates towards a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to homeland security. They also pledged to develop actionable frameworks that would translate the strategy into measurable outcomes in strengthening national security.