FG Inaugurates Committee to Review National Security Strategy 2026

Linus Aleke in Abuja

The Federal Government on Thursday inaugurated a 33 member committee to review the 2019 National Security Strategy and develop a new framework for addressing emerging security threats.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony in Abuja, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, urged the committee members to produce a comprehensive, realistic and actionable document that reflects the country’s changing security environment.

Represented by the committee chairman, Major General Sarkin Bello (Rtd.), the NSA said Nigeria’s domestic, regional and global security landscapes had changed significantly since the last review in 2019, necessitating a reassessment of the country’s security priorities.

“Our national security landscape is undergoing rapid and profound transformations. Since the last review of our strategy in 2019, the domestic, regional and global security environments have changed dramatically in intensity,” he said.

Ribadu identified terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, cyber threats, misinformation, economic challenges, food insecurity and environmental problems as some of the threats the new strategy must address.

Against this backdrop, he said the National Security Strategy 2026 would provide an overarching framework for coordinating national security, resilience and sustainable development.

“The National Security Strategy 2026 will serve as an overarching compass for coordinating national security, resilience and sustainable development for Nigeria. It must reflect our current realities, anticipate future disruptions and directly support the realisation of our national objectives amid the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly in the areas of human security, economic transformation and national cohesion,” Ribadu said.

He further urged committee members to engage relevant institutions and stakeholders in developing a strategy that could be effectively implemented.

“Engage robustly with our resource institutions and strategic stakeholders to produce a comprehensive, realistic and actionable document. Nigeria demands a strategy that is realistic and implementable,” he said.

To facilitate the process, Ribadu said the Office of the National Security Adviser would provide the necessary administrative, technical and logistical support to ensure the successful completion of the assignment.

In his acceptance remarks, the committee’s deputy chairman, Major General Emeka Onumajuru (Rtd.), highlighted the evolving nature of security threats, stressing the need for a comprehensive strategic realignment.

He noted that conventional security challenges, including terrorism, insurgency and banditry, had become increasingly intertwined with non-kinetic threats such as cyber vulnerabilities, economic challenges, food insecurity and climate change.

Emphasising the need for a forward-looking approach, Onumajuru said the new strategy must go beyond reactive measures to address the country’s complex security challenges.

“To address these complexities, our nation requires an overarching framework that moves beyond reactive measures. The National Security Strategy 2026 must be an inclusive, forward-looking and highly actionable blueprint,” he said.

He added that the committee would consult resource institutions, private-sector representatives and traditional leaders to ensure that the strategy reflected a broad range of national security concerns.

Major General Onumajuru also disclosed that the committee had four weeks to submit its final draft to the NSA, describing the timeline as demanding.

“Our timeline is quite unyielding. We have exactly four weeks from today to submit our final draft copies to the National Security Adviser. So, it demands immediate, focused momentum,” he said.

The committee is chaired by Major General Bello (Rtd.) and comprises representatives of government ministries, the Armed Forces, intelligence agencies, law enforcement bodies, civil society organisations and academia.

Other institutions represented on the committee include the Defence Headquarters, the Nigerian Army, Navy and Air Force, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services, the National Intelligence Agency, the Defence Intelligence Agency and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.