The Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (rtd.), says terrorism, banditry and other emerging security threats have national, regional and global consequences.

Musa stated this while addressing diplomats, security practitioners and representatives of the United Nations, African Union and ECOWAS during a high-level discussion on the margins of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The event, convened by Nigeria’s Ministry of Defence, focused on the evolving security challenges facing Nigeria and the wider Sahel region.

The minister called for stronger global partnerships and a whole-of-society approach to tackling insecurity, stressing that modern security threats were multidimensional and could not be effectively addressed by individual countries acting alone.

He said sustainable security required resilient communities, effective institutions, inclusive development and good governance.

Musa outlined measures being implemented by the Federal Government, including the recruitment of an additional 22,000 personnel into the Armed Forces and the expansion and reorganisation of the Nigerian Army’s divisional structure.

He also cited ongoing efforts towards establishing state police and dedicated forest guards to strengthen security in rural and border communities.

The minister said the government was implementing a presidentially approved unified intelligence and reconnaissance programme aimed at eliminating operational gaps, improving situational awareness and strengthening cooperation among Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

He further highlighted efforts to expand domestic defence production through support for the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), with the objective of improving self-reliance and reducing dependence on imported military equipment.

According to him, the integration of advanced technologies, including drones for real-time surveillance and Improvised Explosive Device detection, was also being pursued alongside the development of a comprehensive national criminal database.

Musa said Nigeria remained committed to working with international partners to address security challenges that increasingly crossed national borders.