Leadership as key factor in internal security

AT various times, President Bola Tinubu has often declared the commitment of his administration to winning the war against insecurity in the country. He stated this much during the Regimental Dinner Night in honour of the Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance Day in Abuja, in January. It is significant that the  top priorities of his budgeting outlook are defence and internal security, job creation, macro-economic stability, improved investment environment, human capital development, poverty reduction, and social security. The Renewed Hope Agenda focuses on bolstering national security for peace and prosperity. Specifically, it aims to strengthen national security for peace and prosperity. The thinking is that security is the bedrock of national development. Thus, the focus “is on enhancing the capabilities of our security forces, promoting peace and stability, and ensuring that every Nigerian feels safe and protected, no matter where they reside.” In strengthening internal security, the president settled on Hon Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, a personality whose tech background was expected to bring a fresh perspective to addressing the country’s mounting security challenges. The objective is to leverage technology, intelligence, and community engagement to create a comprehensive security strategy that makes a real difference  in the everyday lives of Nigerians.

Since assuming office, Tunji-Ojo has sought to enhance border security as a critical component of Nigeria’s overall security strategy. In specific terms, he has placed emphasis on secure communication networks an integrated system that uses sensors, drones and AI-powered analytics to monitor and manage border activity. The use of  biometric technologies such as facial recognition, fingerprinting, and iris scanning to identify and track individuals crossing the border, secure communication networks for border security personnel to share information and coordinate efforts, and equipment of border patrol agents with modern technologies, such as night vision goggles, thermal imaging cameras, and advanced surveillance systems has been sharply focused. And, of course, collaboration with neighboring countries to share intelligence, coordinate border security efforts, and address common security challenges has been a top priority. As would be clear from the foregoing, then, leadership is the most critical factor in internal security. The resources may be there, but it is leadership, specifically quality leadership, that brings everything together to form a unified, efficient whole.

Given the minister’s sterling background, it can be no wonder that he has recorded monumental strides since assuming office. In particular, Nigerians have been keen to point to the strategic importance of the remodeling of the Fire Service Academy, Abuja, the launch of the Safe School Initiative, establishment of the Command and Control Center and, of course, the launch of the Contactless Biometric Passport, which recently took off in Europe after its successful implementation in Canada. In any case, with the clearance of 204,332 passport backlogs and over 50,000 new passports in just three weeks, not to mention the 2.5 million NiN modification backlogs, the decongestion of the prisons/correction centres with 4,068 inmates (comprising persons sentenced to various terms of imprisonment with the option of fine and compensation in custodial status nationwide) released; improved emergency and fire response time by commissioning new fire engines and rapid intervention vehicles and the establishment of enhanced e-passport facilities at select Nigerian Embassies in Italy, Spain, Greece, Austria and Switzerland, Nigerians have seen the dynamics of positive leadership in the Ministry of Interior.

By making the passport application and collection processes easier and faster, launching Mines Marshal to smoke out illegal miners and all those who flout Nigeria’s nation’s mining laws, deploying over 40 eGates across Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Enugu, and Port Harcourt international airports, and commissioning of thirty (30) operational vehicles dedicated to the surveillance and patrol of our border space and rehabilitating Correctional Centers, the Interior Minister has shown that matters of internal security are being accorded the prime attention that they deserve. Indeed, as Nigerians count down to the March 1 launching of the revised visa policy, which features the E-Visa and an end-to-end application process for Nigerian visas, the Federal Government is meticulously ensuring that every detail is addressed to deliver a seamless, secure, and safe solution. This initiative aims to unlock Nigeria’s economic potential by fostering tourism and business growth. That is not quite strategic.

Coming to the specifics regarding the welfare of personnel of the paramilitary agencies, since assuming the chairmanship of the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB), the minister has seen to the expedited promotion exercises, payment of allowance, upward review of salaries and the establishment of the Paramilitary Pensions Board, training and welfare packages for staff under the ministry. He approved the promotion of 32,361 personnel across agencies under the Ministry of Interior, setting a new record. At the NSCDC, in particular,  21, 385 personnel were promoted to new ranks in 2023 alone, and this is an ongoing exercise as we speak. Nigerians have also lauded the minister for inaugurating a special force, Mining Marshal, under the NSCDC to protect mining sites across Nigeria as the government seeks to crack down on saboteurs. Poised to make the corps more efficient, especially within the context of the complaints that Nigerian have lodged against the service over the years, the minister commissioned a fleet of operational vehicles to enhance patrol and surveillance around critical national assets. Regarding the ugly incidence of abduction of school children, he promoted and Supported the Safe Schools Initiative in a bid to continue its legacy contribution to the safety of school children, among others.

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The NCoS has witnessed similar gestures as its sister agencies, including the promotion of 4,498 personnel from the service to new ranks in 2023, decongestion of correctional facilities,  and the facilitation of speedy trials of inmates awaiting trials, through active and dynamic collaboration with the Ministry of Justice. To reiterate a fact, Nigerians have also praised the renovation of the Correctional facilities across the country.  Remarkably, the Federal Fire Service (FFS) now has an emergency response time below 15 minutes, a timeline that it strives to adhere scrupulously to. In addition, it has15 new rapid response vehicles and six firefighting trucks to enhance the operational capabilities of the service, while the NIS, which, let us reiterate, cleared over 200k passport backlogs in just three weeks, has its passport environment portal redesigned to become a seamless and automated system where every citizen has an NIS office on their mobile phone.

Many Nigerians applauded the launch of  the contactless biometrics passport application system for Nigerians in Canada and Europe., but the deployed Advance Passenger Information System (APIS)/Passenger Name Record (PNR) is another game changer on its own. The Tunji-Ojo leadership commenced the upgrade of the passport enrolment portal into a contactless technology, commissioned 30 new patrol vehicles deployed to secure Nigeria’s borders, and constructed a command and control centre housing a 1.4 petabytes capacity data centre in the NIS headquarters, Sauka, Abuja.

Then, there is the installation of e-Gates as border security measures across all international airports, activation of Document Verification Officers (DVOs) at LGAs,  and the inauguration of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Technology Innovation Complex (BATTIC) comprising the Command and Control Center, the NIS Data Center, the ECOWAS Biometric Card Production Center, the Interior Data Center, Passport Personalization Center, the Visa Application Center and the Solar Farm.

It is no coincidence that the office of the minister has institutionalised timely response to emergency situations, routine inspection of all projects under the ministry, and invitation of technical partners to pitch relevant ideas towards the enhancement of internal security, visa enrolment process and the localisation of the production of international passports. Strategically, it explores various inter-ministerial and inter-agency collaborations to beef up internal security, going on to formalise working partnerships with ministries including Defence, Finance, Foreign Affairs, Mine and Steel Development, Justice, Trade, Industry And Investment, as well as institutions such as the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), and the Department of State Services (DSS), amongst others. That’s the power of vision, mission, and leadership.

• Salako is a media consultant.