Nigeria\’s Security Roadmap

The state has a core obligation of protecting the lives and properties of its citizens from internal and external aggression. In achieving this, the country, through the instrumentality of its security institutions maps out a national security strategy. This security roadmap guides the security agencies in performing statutory safety and security responsibilities. In Nigeria, there has been a surge of security challenges. The worrisome development has put to question what constitutes Nigeria\’s security strategy and how effective it has been in addressing the changing dynamics of security woes in the country.

Admittedly, Nigeria\’s security apparatus appears to be mostly ineffectual in managing the upward scale of security crises in the country. Arguments are that the nation\’s security agents have been stretched thin to combat unanticipated security issues and its security roadmap have not evolved to match up to contemporary security challenges. Yesterday, in Abuja, President Muhammadu Buhari re-launched the revised National Security Roadmap focusing on human security and provisions to address present and anticipated threats. The plan also seeks to improve the capacity of the nation\’s security institutions towards ensuring a safe society. The strategy is expected to last for five years, and the last review was in 2014. If this tradition is followed correctly, the nation\’s security roadmap will always be able to address emerging security threats.

However, the strategy should not be state-centred. It should create room for citizen\’s engagement. For policies to work, members of the public must be aware of such policies and what it intends to achieve, as this will help in garnering widespread support. Besides, security should be the responsibility of everybody. Government should create awareness on the non-sensitive aspects of the national security roadmap. The public deserves to know what the national security strategy is and what it aims to achieve. It will help in determining the aspects citizens can get contribute to promoting safety and security in the country.

The strategy should also implement its goal of improving the capacity of Nigeria\’s security institutions. This can be achieved through funding from government and relevant partners. Nigeria\’s security and defence budget is far below stipulations by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. Both organisations recommend at least 1.5 per cent of a nation\’s GDP on security for countries even without security challenges. Currently, Nigeria spends less than 1 per cent of her GDP on defence- a country bridled with numerous security issues. With an estimated 200 million people, Nigeria’s police officer to citizens ratio is below the recommended figures. According to the United Nations, a country needs one police officer for every 450 citizens. Nigeria\’s police personnel is estimated at 371,8008, which means that the country still needs about 450,000 police officers. A security strategy that does not take note of these worrisome figures will most likely be ineffective.