National Issues
Solving Nigeria’s insecurity through interagency collaboration
Why is it important for security agencies in Nigeria to work in partnership to minimise the enormous security challenges that the country confronts? How can interagency collaboration enhance Nigeria’s security? Promoting interagency collaboration and conflict resolution among personnel of security agencies in Northwest Nigeria was the theme of a workshop put together by the Konrad Adenuer Stiftung (KAS), a German foundation inspired to foster interagency collaboration with a view to engendering conflict resolution and enhancing human security.
KAS has been working with Nigerian partners to facilitate democratic dialogue and capacity building for different arms of government at national, regional and state levels. Sensitive to the insecurity in Northwest Nigeria, KAS assembled about 100 personnel from security agencies’ (Department of state security, Army, The Police, Immigration, Customs, Federal Road Safety Commission, and Correction Service) departments of operations, conflict resolution and intelligence in Kano between 11-14 August 2021 to train and empower them on how to be sensitive to social context and collaborate to enhance security.
In her welcome address, resident representative of KAS, Dr Vladimir Kreck represented by Senior Programme Manager, Security Sector Reform (KAS), Julcit Stolpe explained that KAS reviewed statutes of the various security agencies in Nigeria and found that “interagency rivalry was mainly being caused by the overlapping or conflicting mandates of these agencies.
To solve this problem Kreck said “we have commenced strategic engagement with the relevant institutions and stakeholders to push for reform of these laws to ensure clarity of function. We have also been organising capacity building workshops for members of different committees in the National Assembly and also for State Houses of Assembly to strengthen knowledge and practice of effective legislation and oversight. We have to embed the culture of good civil-military relations, intelligence and information sharing between security agencies and civilian citizens through our seminars at national and geo-political zones of Nigeria.”
Available evidence indicates that poor inter-agency collaboration among Nigeria’s security institutions is one of the major factors militating against effective conflict resolution and security management in Nigeria. The consequences of not working effectively together culminate in increasing fear of insecurity and diminished trust in the capabilities of the security system to protect the lives and properties of civilian populations across Nigeria in general and terror zones in particular.
The 2020 Global Terrorism Index (GTI) places Nigeria as the third country worst hit by the negative outcomes of terrorists’ activities. From Bokoharam in the Northeast, banditry and criminal kidnapping in the Northwest, secessionist agitations in the southeast and southwest, the security system in Nigeria is practically overstretched. In this situation, only the working together of the units that make up Nigeria’s security system will de-escalate conflict and neutralise security threats through complementary operations and credible intelligence sharing among others.
Funded by the German government, KAS has since its founding in Nigeria in 2001 continues to work with Nigerian partners, to facilitate human capacity development of security agencies to deliver on their mandate. To check problems of overlapping mandates, there is need for necessary reforms to be in place so that extant laws which overlap mandates can be amended. It is important that security agencies deliver on their specific mandates to actualise peace and development in Nigeria.
Banditry in the Northwest has exposed how unmanned or poorly manned border zones can compromise national security. The widespread smuggling and use of illicit drugs by criminals has also been implicated as a contributor to growing security and its unfolding dynamism. The use of drugs by bandits, Bokoharam terrorists, kidnappers and armed robbers is no longer a secret. As at 2017, 14.3million Nigerians between 15 and 64 years old hard drugs such as Cannabis, Tramadol, Codeine or Morphine and this affects the nature of criminality and conflict in Nigeria.
That the use of these drugs continues to proliferate implies that the National Drug Law enforcement Agency (NDLEA) cannot do it alone without effectively collaborating with other security agencies. If other security agencies do not work with NDLEA for instance, those who get high on drugs will deploy it to do banditry and kidnapping which will then become problem for the police, army and NSCDC.
Security agencies in Nigeria must close ranks and eliminate rivalry. Security is arrived at when every part of the security system (police, army, NSCDC, NDLEA, Immigration, Customs and others) discharges their roles efficiently and balance their weaknesses with the strength of other security agencies. Inferiority complex and superiority battles between and among security agency only aggravate the insecurity of everyone and deepens national insecurity. The successes recorded in a joint operation must be collectively owned and its failure must be shared as well.
The insecurity of welfare of security personnel can also hamper their commitment to protect lives and properties. They need better welfare both in service and when out of service. Nigeria governments need to ensure that the causes of insecurity which are external to the security system are tackled. These are nose-diving fortunes of the economy, widespread poverty, comatose electricity and unemployment.
If these triggers of insecurity are addressed, security agencies will have little works to do. While the workshop by the Konrad Adenuer Stiftung takes the conversation about the necessity of interagency collaboration to another level by bringing actors to sit in the same venue and share ideas, it is important that heads of security agencies in Nigeria buy into this initiative and work to harmonise interagency differences that hamper security operations.
Dr Tade, a criminologist and security expert writes via dotad2003@yahoo.com
The Nigerian government spent a staggering $3.58 billion on servicing foreign debt within the first nine months of 2024, marking a significant 39.77% increase compared to the $2.56 billion expended over the same period in 2023.
This data, drawn from a recent report on international payment statistics by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), reflects a concerning rise in the country’s foreign debt obligations amid depreciating currency values.
According to the report, the most substantial monthly debt servicing payment occurred in May 2024, totaling $854.37 million. This is a substantial 286.52% increase from May 2023’s $221.05 million.
Meanwhile, the highest monthly payment for 2023 was $641.7 million in July, underscoring the trend of Nigeria’s escalating debt costs.
Detailed analysis of monthly payments further illuminates the trend.
In January 2024, debt servicing costs surged by 398.89%, reaching $560.52 million, a significant rise from $112.35 million in January 2023. However, February saw a modest reduction of 1.84%, with costs decreasing from $288.54 million in 2023 to $283.22 million in 2024. March also recorded a decline of 31.04%, down to $276.17 million from $400.47 million the previous year.
Additional fluctuations in debt payments continued throughout the year, with June witnessing a slight decrease of 6.51% to $50.82 million from $54.36 million in 2023. July 2024 payments dropped by 15.48%, while August showed a 9.69% decline compared to 2023. September, however, reversed the trend with a 17.49% increase, highlighting persistent pressure on foreign debt obligations.
With the rise in exchange rates exacerbating these financial strains, Nigeria’s foreign debt servicing costs are projected to remain elevated.
The central bank’s data highlights how these obligations are stretching national resources as the naira’s devaluation continues to impact debt repayment in dollar terms.
Rising State Debt Levels Add Pressure
The federal government’s debt challenges are mirrored by state governments, whose collective debt rose to N11.47 trillion by June 30, 2024.
Despite allocations from the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) and internally generated revenue (IGR), states remain heavily reliant on federal transfers to meet budgetary demands.
According to the Debt Management Office (DMO), the debt burden for Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) rose by 14.57% from N10.01 trillion in December 2023.
In naira terms, debt rose by 73.46%, from N4.15 trillion to N7.2 trillion, primarily due to the naira’s depreciation from N899.39 to N1,470.19 per dollar within six months. External debt for states and the FCT also increased from $4.61 billion to $4.89 billion during this period.
Further data from BudgIT’s 2024 State of States report illustrates how reliant states are on federal support. The report revealed that 32 states depended on FAAC allocations for at least 55% of their revenue in 2023.
In fact, 14 states relied on FAAC for 70% or more of their revenue. This heavy dependence on federal transfers underscores the vulnerability of states to fluctuations in federal revenue, particularly those tied to oil prices.
The economic challenges facing both the federal and state governments are stark. The combination of mounting foreign debt, fluctuating exchange rates, and high reliance on federally distributed revenue suggests a need for fiscal reforms to bolster revenue generation and reduce vulnerability to external shocks.
With foreign debt obligations continuing to grow, the report emphasizes the urgency for Nigeria to address its debt sustainability to foster long-term economic stability.
Engr. Aderemi Oseni, representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency of Oyo State in the House of Representatives, has called for a prompt investigation into the increasing occurrences of building collapses in major cities across Nigeria.
In a motion presented to the House on Wednesday, Oseni expressed deep concern over the alarming frequency of building collapses, emphasising the threat they pose to the lives and property of Nigerians.
The APC lawmaker, through a statement by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, cited the recent collapse of a two-storey school building at Saint Academy in Busa Buji, Jos, Plateau State, on July 12, 2024. The tragic incident, which trapped 154 people and claimed 22 lives, is the latest in a series of similar disasters, raising serious concerns nationwide.
Oseni also referenced a report from The Punch newspaper, which revealed that Nigeria had recorded 135 building collapse incidents between 2022 and July 2024.
“This figure is alarming and unacceptable,” he stated, stressing the urgency of preventing further occurrences.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Oseni reminded the House that the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and other relevant professional bodies are responsible for ensuring compliance with building standards and practices.
“Despite these regulatory frameworks, the recurring collapses suggest that enforcement is lacking. The loss of lives, properties, and resources is staggering, and this disturbing trend must be addressed immediately,” he remarked.
He proposed the formation of an Adhoc Committee to investigate the underlying causes of these collapses and recommend both immediate and long-term solutions.
Also, he urged the House Committee on Legislative Compliance to ensure swift implementation of any recommendations.
The House agreed to deliberate on the motion and is expected to present its findings and proposed actions within eight weeks.
The Vice-chairman of the Oyo Council of Obas and Chiefs, Oba Francis Olusola Alao, has expressed deep concern over the increasing involvement of religious leaders in material pursuits, accusing them of abandoning their spiritual duties in favour of wealth and influence.
Oba Alao, who is also the Olugbon of Orile Igbon, made this statement during a visit from the leadership of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church Movement “Ayo Ni O,” led by Baba Aladura Prophet Emmanuel Abiodun Alogbo, at his palace in Surulere Local Government on Thursday.
The monarch accused some religious leaders of sharing part of the blame for the moral and political crises that have engulfed the nation. According to him, spiritual leaders, once seen as the moral compass of society, have become compromised by corruption, aligning themselves with the very forces they should condemn.
Oba Alao was unapologetic in his criticism, stating, “Ninety-five percent of Nigerian leaders, both political and religious, are spiritually compromised.”
He argued that this moral decay among clerics has made it impossible for them to hold political leaders accountable or speak the truth to those in power, as their integrity has been eroded by their pursuit of material wealth.
“Carnality has taken over spirituality. Our religious leaders can no longer speak the truth to those in authority because their minds have been corrupted. Most of the so-called General Overseers (G.O.) are corrupt and perverted,” Oba Alao added.
He stressed that this shift towards wealth accumulation at the expense of spiritual values has greatly contributed to the country’s stagnation in development and social justice.
Olugbon urged both religious leaders and traditional rulers to reflect on their actions, reminding them that they would be held accountable for their stewardship, both in this world and the next.
“The prayers of sinners are an abomination before God, hence the need for our leaders to rethink,” he warned.
The monarch concluded by reiterating the transient nature of power and the importance of staying true to sacred duties, regardless of the temptation to indulge in worldly gains. “I am a traditional ruler. I don’t belong, and will never belong, to any occultic groups,” he emphasised, drawing a clear line between his position and the corrupt practices of some leaders.
In response to the Cherubim and Seraphim Church Movement’s request for collaboration on community development projects, Oba Alao assured them of his support.
“Your requests are aimed at the development of the Orile Igbon community. I am assuring you that necessary assistance will be provided in this regard.”
Earlier, Prophet Alogbo requested the monarch’s collaboration on a range of community development projects. These initiatives include the establishment of a women and youth empowerment center, clean drinking water initiatives, a bakery, animal production facilities, and farm produce processing.
Other proposals included a diagnostic and medical center, a full-size recreational sports facility, and a home care facility for the elderly.
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