The Africa Institute of Resilience Studies (AIRS) has called for a broader national security framework in Nigeria. Prof. Rowland Ndoma-Egba, who made the appeal at the institute's inauguration and a book presentation in Abuja, suggested renaming the existing National Security Strategy the National Security and Resilience Strategy. Security aims to prevent and counter threats, he said, while resilience ensures that the country keeps functioning in an emergency and recovers afterwards. The 2019 strategy contains commitments on community resilience, he argued, but does not translate them into concrete goals, institutions and measurable indicators. Ndoma-Egba proposed seven reforms, including resilience as a distinct security pillar, regular national risk assessments, a risk register and closer coordination between agencies.

The Chief of Defence Intelligence, Lt.-Gen. Emmanuel Undiandeye, warned that economic hardship and weak social structures leave communities vulnerable to criminal infiltration. Nigeria and other African countries face interconnected threats, he said, ranging from terrorism and banditry to cybercrime and communal conflicts. Prof. Toba Alabi of the Nigerian Defence Academy urged that these challenges no longer be tackled with fragmented institutional responses, and called for closer cooperation between academia and security practitioners. Among other things, he pointed to around 14.3 million Nigerians aged 15 to 64 who had used drugs in the previous year.

Key points:

• The Africa Institute of Resilience Studies (AIRS) has called for a broader national security framework.
• Prof. Rowland Ndoma-Egba made the call on Friday at the inauguration of AIRS and the presentation of a book by the institute in Abuja.
• Ndoma-Egba urged the federal government to rename the National Security Strategy the National Security and Resilience Strategy.

Source: NAN (English)