Nigeria must get a grip on its security crisis — Security expert

The Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of a security outfit, Mr. Seyi Babaeko, has said that no amount of policy talk or economic planning will deliver real growth unless Nigeria gets a grip on its security crisis.

Babaeko who managed Absolute Security and Advance Protocol Ltd, in a statement made available to newsmen in Lokoja said that President Bola Ahmed  Tinubu’s administration must  embraced technology,  but not limited to drones, satellite surveillance, and AI-based threat detection.

His words, insecurity is not a northern problem or a rural problem; it is a national economic threat. From kidnapping on highways to banditry in farming communities and crude oil theft in the Niger Delta, insecurity is choking livelihoods, driving away investors, and destroying confidence.

“A nation where farmers cannot go to their farms, where children miss school due to fear, and where businesses spend more on private security than innovation, cannot grow, let alone transform.

“So, before we talk about digital infrastructure or investor confidence, we must ask: can Nigerians live, work, and trade in peace?

“Economic progress does not begin with GDP figures or investor summits, it begins with people feeling safe. No serious investor will bet on a country that cannot secure its own streets. No farmer will risk cultivating land in areas plagued by abductions. Security is the first and most important form of infrastructure.

“The Tinubu administration must make national security a tool for economic recovery, not just a military concern. This means embracing technology, including, but not limited to drones, satellite surveillance, and AI-based threat detection. It also means legalising state policing so that communities are protected by people who understand their terrain. Importantly, young people living in violence-prone areas must be offered real alternatives, such as skills, jobs, and hope.

“President Tinubu’s vision is bold but achievable. However, it will require clarity of purpose, political courage, and a deep understanding that economic growth and national security are two sides of the same coin.

“I must also commend General Christopher Musa, Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, for his steady leadership in these times. His strategic focus reminds us that securing Nigeria is not just about force, it is about foresight, unity, and nation-building.

“The world is watching. Nigerians are watching. The opportunity is real, but so is the urgency. If we do not act decisively now, we risk falling even further behind. May the president and his team rise to the challenge. The work ahead is immense, but so is the reward.

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