The Federal Government has taken steps to strengthen coordination between the Ministries of Defence and Interior in a bid to build a more unified and effective national security framework.
This followed a high-level meeting in Abuja on Friday when the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (Rtd), paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, at his office.
Tunji-Ojo said national security rests on three interdependent pillars—intelligence, internal security and defence—warning that weakness in any of them threatens the entire system. He stressed the need for collaboration rather than rivalry among security agencies, noting that Nigerians are more concerned about safety and results than institutional boundaries.
The Interior Minister identified border security as a critical national priority, warning that porous borders expose Nigeria to terrorism, transnational crime and illegal migration. He also clarified the role of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) as a specialised agency for protecting critical national infrastructure, including schools, oil and gas facilities, power installations and telecommunications assets.
He called for stronger cooperation between the NSCDC and the military, enhanced training, improved intelligence sharing, and better data management across security agencies. Tunji-Ojo proposed the establishment of an inter-ministerial technical committee to harmonise operations between the two ministries.
Gen. Musa commended reforms within the Ministry of Interior and said modern security threats have blurred the line between internal and external security, making inter-agency collaboration indispensable. He proposed a joint technical security committee to meet quarterly and assess emerging threats, as well as secure technology platforms for real-time intelligence sharing.
Both ministers agreed that deeper collaboration would ease pressure on the military, strengthen internal security operations and improve overall national safety.
By Michael Olugbode
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