By Our Reporter
The Minister of Defence, retired Gen. Christopher Musa, has called for stronger grassroots security coordination involving local leaders, communities and security agencies.
Musa made the call on Monday while presenting a paper at a summit on “Strengthening Grassroots Security through Inclusive Local Leadership, Community Partnership and Inter-Agency Collaboration.”
He said effective security required the active participation of people closest to communities, noting that they were often the first to detect unusual movements, emerging tensions and criminal activities.
The minister said timely and reliable local information could provide early warning and enable security agencies to address threats before they escalated into crises.
He therefore welcomed the proposed establishment of Local Government Security Coordination Committees across the 774 Local Government Areas.
Musa, however, stressed that the effectiveness of the committees would depend on their functionality rather than merely establishing another layer of bureaucracy.
He said the committees should provide platforms for local government authorities, security agencies, traditional institutions and other stakeholders to share information and coordinate responses.
“The objective should be clear: to strengthen the connection between our communities and the security architecture of the country, improve early warning and, where possible, prevent incidents before they escalate,” he said.
The minister said Nigeria’s security challenges required a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, stressing that no single agency or level of government could secure the country alone.
He said local governments had a particularly important role because of their proximity to communities and ability to understand local conditions.
Musa also highlighted the roles of traditional and religious leaders in building trust, resolving tensions and preventing the manipulation of ethnic and religious differences.
He stressed that security and development were inseparable, noting that poverty, unemployment, exclusion and weak social structures could create conditions for criminality and violent extremism.
“Security should not be seen only in terms of military or police operations; it should also be understood as creating the conditions in which development can take place,” he said.
The minister said securing farming communities protected livelihoods and food production, while protecting businesses and critical infrastructure safeguarded investment, employment and essential services.
He also called for greater involvement of the private sector, saying businesses could contribute investments, technology and expertise to strengthening local resilience.
Musa urged stakeholders to build greater trust between communities and security agencies to facilitate responsible information sharing and timely response to emerging threats.
He cautioned against creating parallel security structures, saying the initiative should strengthen existing institutions and improve coordination within constitutional and institutional frameworks.
The minister said the Ministry of Defence would continue to collaborate with relevant government institutions and stakeholders in advancing broader national security objectives.
He urged participants, particularly Local Government Chairmen, to focus on practical measures for gathering and sharing information, identifying threats and improving inter-agency coordination.
Musa said the summit should produce more than a communiqué, urging participants to develop a framework that could be implemented across the 774 Local Government Areas.
He commended President Bola Tinubu for policies aimed at enhancing the capacity of Local Government Areas and urged the full implementation of local government autonomy.
The minister said local leaders must be accountable for local security, rural infrastructure and community development.
He assured stakeholders that the Ministry of Defence would continue to work with local governments and other relevant institutions to promote safer and more resilient communities.
