Weak local responses threaten security gains
Nigeria has spent billions on strengthening security agencies and tackling insurgency, but weak responses at local levels are threatening to undermine those efforts.
Security agencies have struggled to respond to terrorist attacks on communities as a result of lack of personnel, sabotage and lack of funds.
Sometimes, villages are raided for hours without security intervention. Analysts say the situation is a recent phenomenon not seen in the 1990s and 2000s.
Speaking with BusinessDay in Abuja, peace experts and security analysts say while the federal government has recorded significant gains, weak grassroots structures, elite interference, and compromised local authorities continue to leave dangerous gaps in the country’s security architecture.
As Nigeria marks 65 years of independence, analysts highlighted progress, challenges, and the way forward for sustainable peace.
Sadeeque Abba, professor of Political Economy and Development Studies at the University of Abuja, said Nigeria’s security situation requires urgent collaboration across all tiers of government.
According to him, while the federal government has made significant efforts in tackling insecurity, state and local governments have failed to play their parts effectively.
“In security terms, the federal government is doing an excellent job, but the state and local governments are not doing anything.
“That is why Nigeria is not well secured. Federal government cannot secure the entire nation.
“It is going to be a collaboration, a partnership between the federal, the state and the local government,” Abba stressed.
The professor noted that local governments, which ought to be the cornerstone of national development and grassroots security, have been weakened by elite interference and state capture.
He argued that Nigeria must adopt a ‘bottom-up’ security model rather than the current ‘top-down’ approach.
“If you go to some developed countries like Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, or even Norway and Finland, security is not about top-down, it’s about bottom-up.
“In Africa, countries like Botswana, Seychelles, Lesotho, Madagascar and Algeria have bottom-up security models.
“But in Nigeria, security is defined from the point of view of state security and elite security, leaving the grassroots unprotected,” he said.
Abba explained that the disconnect between growing national resources and declining security is one of the contradictions undermining Nigeria’s development.
“We were far more secure in the 1960s, 70s and 80s than now, even though we have more resources today. The further away from 1960, the less the security, yet the higher the resources. That imbalance is frightening,” he added.
On her part, Dayo Kusa, former director of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution and a member of the Coordinating Committee on the Forum on Farmer-Herder Relations in Nigeria, described Nigeria as being in’’turmoil’ but urged continuous transformation of conflicts rather than seeking absolute resolutions.
“The presidency and all involved are doing their very best, but the infestation has gone so far-rooted.
“We shall continue to prevent conflict in areas not yet prone and transform existing conflicts.
“Resolution is almost like peace of the graveyard, which is unattainable. Transformation is more practical and sustainable,” Kusa explained.
Also speaking, Olusola Odumosu, commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in the Federal Capital Territory, said Nigeria should be grateful for the relative peace it enjoys compared to other parts of the world.
“Except we want to be unfair, Nigeria is enjoying relative peace compared to other countries within Africa and across the globe. Sixty-five years is not an easy journey. We may not be where we ought to be, but we’re not where we used to be,” he said.
Odumosu highlighted the collective efforts of the security community in sustaining peace, noting that the NSCDC works in close collaboration with the Nigerian Police, Armed Forces, and other paramilitary agencies.
He also pointed to recent security reforms and government policies under the Renewed Hope Agenda, which have strengthened agencies through increased funding, improved welfare, and training.
“Before now, Nigeria was bedevilled with insurgency, violent extremism, and kidnapping. As we speak today, those challenges have reduced drastically.
“We may not have completely obliterated them, but they are not as menacing as before,” he said.
On grassroots security, the NSCDC Commandant agreed with experts that community participation remains essential.
“Peace is everybody’s business. We should not leave peace enforcement and building at the doorstep of security agencies alone. “Intelligence-led policing works best, and we rely on credible information from the people.
“When you see something, say something. Don’t be indifferent, because it might affect someone close to you,” Odumosu urged.
Checks by BusinessDay Newspapers revealed that Nigeria has in recent years embarked on a series of reforms aimed at strengthening national security, modernising its armed forces and improving the accountability of law enforcement agencies.
The measures, which range from legislative changes to increased funding and procurement of modern equipment, reflect government efforts to address the country’s complex security challenges while balancing concerns about human rights, governance and accountability.
A step in this direction was the signing of the Nigeria Police Act in 2020, which repealed the outdated 2004 law.
The new legislation emphasises accountability, respect for human rights and the need for community policing as a foundation for effective law enforcement.
However, while the Act provided a clear legal framework, observers note that its implementation has been slow, with limited impact so far on police culture, training and public trust.
Alongside domestic reforms, Nigeria has received international support for strengthening police accountability and transformation.
In 2024, the United Nations Development Programme launched the Supporting Police Accountability and Transformation (SPAAT) project, the third phase of a long-running initiative to improve professionalism in the Nigeria Police Force.
The project, which runs until December 2025, is designed to deepen reforms in police leadership, governance and community engagement, complementing government policies on institutional change.
Funding for security has also risen sharply, as defence and security received one of the largest allocations in the 2025 federal budget, with about N4.9 trillion set aside for personnel, operations and capital projects.
This represents around 13 percent of total government spending, according to budget analysis by BudgIT. The allocation continues a trend that began in 2024, when security already commanded one of the highest shares of national expenditure.
The spending has been matched by significant procurement and modernisation moves. In October 2024, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved borrowing of over $600 million to acquire M-346 fighter jets, part of a plan to boost the Nigerian Air Force’s capacity for counter-insurgency and border security.
Earlier this year, the United States approved a potential $346 million arms sale to Nigeria, covering rockets and munitions, although the deal is still subject to congressional approval in Washington.
These acquisitions are expected to bolster ongoing military campaigns, including operations against oil theft in the Niger Delta and counter-terrorism missions in the North-East.
Beyond the military front, Nigeria’s leaders are grappling with an increasingly urgent debate over the creation of state police. Advocates argue that devolving policing powers to state governments will bring law enforcement closer to communities and help tackle insecurity more effectively.
Opponents, however, fear the arrangement could be politicised and abused by state governors.
The debate has gained momentum in 2024 and 2025, with public hearings and legislative proposals sparking both support and resistance, but no final decision has been reached.
Despite these reforms and investments, concerns persist about accountability and respect for human rights.
Rights groups point out that abuses linked to security operations remain common, undermining public trust and raising doubts about the effectiveness of reforms.
Analysts also warn that without stronger intelligence-sharing, multi-agency coordination and robust oversight, rising budgets and new equipment may not translate into improved security outcomes.
The government, however, insists that reforms are moving in the right direction, pointing to renewed strategies on counter-insurgency, greater emphasis on community policing, and operational successes against criminal networks as signs of progress.
International partners also continue to express support, highlighting Nigeria’s willingness to tackle long-standing gaps in its security architecture.
Experts caution that the true measure of these reforms will hinge on whether legislative intent, international backing, and security spending can be effectively translated into real improvements in public safety and citizens’ trust.
The balancing act between equipping security forces, respecting human rights, and building public confidence will likely define the next phase of Nigeria’s security sector transformation.
