On July 21, 2023, at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College in Jaji, Kaduna State, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu pledged as Commander-in-Chief to “deploy the entire machinery of state power to ensure security of our people and property in a just and democratic society.” He highlighted Nigeria’s fight against “mobile and elusive irregular forces” like the ideological non-state armed groups popularly referred to as Boko Haram, calling for reformed military doctrines and regional collaboration with Lake Chad nations. This commitment resonates with my inaugural column piece on this platform published on September 03, 2025, “Nigeria’s National Security Enterprise: Architecture Under Siege,” which advocated for security sector governance and security sector reform to achieve a proactive, whole-of-society approach to counter institutional weaknesses and systemic drivers of insecurity.
“Additionally, conscious and intentional effort must be made to avoid situating these initiatives in agencies that reinforce the concern of political abuse. Here, the role of the National Assembly is critical to ensure proper checks and balances.”
In this write-up, I call on particularly political office holders in the executive, legislative and judicial arms of government at the federal and subnational levels to harness Nigeria’s national powers in order to rein in the multitude of insecurity challenges afflicting the country. By harnessing state power using one of several available frameworks, such as the DIME (Diplomatic, Informational, Military, Economic), alongside geographic, political, and socio-cultural elements, and the Human Security, PESTLE, or SMART power frameworks, Nigeria can address its debilitating insecurity challenges holistically to allow for a stable society that is peaceful and resilient.
Let us start with diplomatic power, which refers to a nation’s ability to influence other countries through communication, negotiation, and foreign relations in a bid to achieve its national security imperatives. It includes the effectiveness of a country’s diplomatic corps in forging security alliances, its participation in international organisations for counter-terrorism efforts, and its ability to form coalitions to address transnational threats. The quality of a country’s security-focused diplomacy and its reputation on the world stage, especially regarding its commitment to international security norms, are key components. Despite several state visits by President Tinubu in support of Nigeria’s foreign policy imperatives and the foreign ministry’s well-articulated 4D foreign policy doctrine [1], a key limitation to Nigeria’s diplomatic power is the inability of the current administration to appoint ambassadors two years into its tenure. However, there are several Nigerians who have been appointed into leadership positions at critical multilateral organisations, such as Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, World Trade Organisation; Amina Mohammed, United Nations; Dr Akinwumi Adesina (former); Dr Vanessa Ushie; Dr Babatunde Omotosho; Mr Ogunleye, of the African Development Bank; Bankole Adeoye, the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security; and Professor Gambari at the African Union (AU), among several others. These individuals are a veritable pathway for Nigeria to enhance its diplomatic power. Critics also point to the strategic errors committed by the Tinubu administration post the coup in the Republic of Niger in July 2023 and its fallout, which continues to affect Nigeria’s and West Africa’s regional security.
As for informational power, it is a nation’s ability to use information and communication to shape the perceptions of foreign audiences, adversaries, and its own citizens in support of its national security imperatives and involves everything from public diplomacy and strategic messaging to countering extremist narratives to managing the flow of information in the digital age to prevent disinformation campaigns. This element includes a nation’s technological and communication infrastructure, its control over media channels to disseminate security-related information, and its ability to conduct cyber operations for defence or intelligence gathering. Nigeria’s weak digital sovereignty, as highlighted by the outstanding proliferation of insurgent propaganda, directly undermines its informational power. Deloitte’s 2025 Cybersecurity Outlook, as well as several Interpol reports warning of ransomware and other cybercrime surges, further underscores the critical need for robust informational security. Recent forays of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy (FMCIDE) security suggest a scope for leveraging AI-driven security solutions and intelligence capabilities as well as strategic media campaigns to counter extremist narratives in banditry and other insurgent-prone areas. To achieve this, the security sector must be open to extending a handshake to the FMCIDE and allowing an evolution of technologically driven solutions supported by public and private players. The implementation of such initiatives is essential to foster trust and enhance the credibility of security communications. Additionally, conscious and intentional effort must be made to avoid situating these initiatives in agencies that reinforce the concern of political abuse. Here, the role of the National Assembly is critical to ensure proper checks and balances.
The next is military power, which is a nation’s capacity to use or threaten the use of force to achieve its security goals and protect its national interests. It encompasses a country’s armed forces, military technology, defence spending, and strategic doctrine. A strong military provides national security, enables a nation to project power to deter aggression, and effectively responds to internal and external threats. The size, readiness, technological sophistication, and leadership of a military are all key factors in its security efficacy. President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda prioritizes The military aspects of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda reflect a comprehensive approach that combines hardware modernisation, human capacity development, and strategic reforms to ensure national security. By addressing both immediate threats and underlying causes, the agenda aims to build a resilient, agile, and effective military force capable of safeguarding Nigeria’s sovereignty and stability. A core objective is sourcing 40% of military equipment needs locally by 2027 through the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), which is being revitalised via strategic partnerships with private firms like D7G Nigeria Limited. This initiative includes establishing local production lines for ammunition (e.g., 7.62 mm x 39 mm rounds with a capacity of 50 million annually), DG-103 rifles (equivalent to AK-103s), and advanced assets like naval ships, drones, and armoured vehicles. The recent DICON-D7G collaboration aims to boost reverse engineering, technology transfer, and job creation while reducing reliance on foreign imports. This aligns with broader efforts to modernise the armed forces with new attack helicopters, offshore patrol vessels, and surveillance aircraft, all underpinned by the new DICON Act signed by Tinubu to foster indigenous innovation and strengthen Nigeria’s defence self-sufficiency. However, critics decry the government’s inability to advance strategies for reduced internal security involvement of the military and to address the myriad of institutional and structural challenges affecting the Nigerian military, including corruption and lack of accountability as well as full subservience to civilian oversight. A policy brief from Transparency International Defence & Security (TI-DS), published in January 2025, decries systemic corruption in Nigeria’s defence sector, opaque budgets, and procurement issues.
Economic power is a nation’s ability to use its economic strength to influence other countries and bolster its own national security. It includes a country’s gross domestic product (GDP), industrial capacity, access to natural resources, and control over global trade and financial systems, all of which can be leveraged for security purposes. A nation can use economic power through foreign aid, sanctions, trade agreements, and investment to reward or penalise other states, thereby shaping their security behaviour. The Nigerian 2025 budget’s projection of 3.86 percent GDP growth, ₦21.6 trillion in revenues, and a reduced deficit indicates a healthier economy capable of funding defence. Redirecting oil revenues to agriculture and youth employment, as per Tinubu’s social welfare initiatives, directly tackles poverty, which often fuels banditry and insurgency. Furthermore, increased foreign investment can bolster border security and intelligence capabilities. However, as Human Rights Watch’s 2025 World Report puts it, economic reforms exacerbate inflation and poverty, leading to protests and heavy-handed state responses, hence tying economic challenges and associated reforms by the Tinubu administration to social unrest, which impacts national security.
Geographic power sees geography as a fundamental, and often unchangeable, element that significantly impacts a country’s security posture. It includes a country’s size, location, climate, topography, and natural resources, all of which can offer strategic advantages or pose security challenges. For example, a country with a vast landmass may have strategic depth for defence against invasion, while a nation with a strategic location, like a key maritime chokepoint, holds significant geopolitical and security influence. Nigeria’s vast landmass and strategic West African location offer both defensive depth and considerable geopolitical influence, crucial for regional stability. Its abundant natural resources, including oil, can fund vital security initiatives if managed transparently and equitably. The Tinubu administration’s economic corridors and highway projects, by connecting conflict-prone regions, strategically leverage geography to enhance security access and facilitate rapid deployment of security forces. However, small and light arms, as well as general weapons proliferation, poor land administration policies and climate challenges, particularly in agricultural regions, exacerbate farmer-herder clashes, highlighting the need for sustainable land policies to mitigate these security risks.
Political power refers to the stability, efficiency, and effectiveness of a nation’s government and political system in maintaining internal order and projecting national power. It includes the quality of a country’s leadership, the coherence of its national security policy, and the efficiency of its bureaucracy in implementing security measures. A stable and well-organised government can better mobilise other elements of national power to address security threats. Political stability is therefore critical for effective state power and national security. Tinubu’s Rivers State emergency declaration and his strong anti-corruption rhetoric are attempts to assert governmental control and restore legitimacy, both vital for bolstering security. However, a faulty electoral process and challenges intrinsic to the tenets of democracy and its traditions, as well as persistent corruption, remain a significant impediment to effective governance and security. Efficient bureaucracy and coherent policies, as cited above, are essential to effectively mobilise resources for security, from funding military operations to implementing social welfare programmes that address root causes of insecurity.
Socio-cultural power refers to the intangible aspects of a nation’s society, such as national morale, unity, prevailing ideology, and education level, all of which contribute to a nation’s resilience and ability to withstand security challenges. A cohesive society with a strong national character and high morale can endure hardship and support its government’s security policies, making it a more resilient and powerful state. The level of public education and scientific advancement also plays a crucial role in developing a skilled workforce and fostering innovation relevant to national security. Nigeria’s diverse society, if unified, presents a significant strength in confronting security threats. President Tinubu’s vision of a “just and democratic society” implicitly aims to foster national morale and cohesion. Promoting education and facilitating inter-ethnic dialogues are crucial for countering separatist tensions and building a unified front against internal and external threats. Furthermore, leveraging cultural industries like Nollywood and promoting cultural exports can actively combat extremist narratives and foster a positive national identity, contributing to socio-cultural resilience.
Table 1. Indications of Socio-Cultural Power in Nigeria
Having reviewed the elements of state power under the expanded DIME framework, below I will present a hybrid with the Human Security Framework as an improved and veritable pathway for harnessing the machinery of state power to address national security challenges.
The human security framework complements traditional state power elements by prioritising the safety and well-being of individual citizens as a fundamental aspect of national security. It emphasises protection from various threats, including poverty, disease, environmental degradation, and human rights abuses, recognising that these factors can contribute to instability and conflict. Tinubu’s agricultural and youth programmes, by reducing unemployment, directly contribute to human security and deter recruitment into insurgent groups. Sustainable land-use policies are essential for addressing farmer-herder clashes, which are a direct threat to human security. Mobile clinics and improved healthcare access can counter narratives of state neglect, thereby enhancing public trust and legitimacy. Decentralisation of policing, community policing initiatives and local dialogues can significantly enhance personal and community security, while anti-corruption reforms bolster political legitimacy and ensure resources are directed towards improving citizens’ lives. This integrated approach ensures that national security is not just about state protection but also about the security of its people.
To better secure Nigeria, the Tinubu administration must show enhanced commitment towards the implementation of the President’s Jaji pledge by strategically deploying state power. This requires actively building consensus towards a stronger commitment from political office holders in the executive, legislative, and judicial arms of government at the federal and subnational levels to utilise all instruments of state power—diplomatic, informational, military, and economic (DIME)—while also considering geographic, political, and socio-cultural factors. This comprehensive approach is essential for tackling national security challenges, fostering peace, and enhancing community resilience.
The yet-to-be-fulfilled promise, in the soon-to-be-updated Nigeria National Security Strategy (NSS), the 2019 version, of “a paradigm shift from state-centric to citizen-centred security…” shows a clear realisation and the adoption of this human security framework by the Nigerian government, but the challenge has been in implementation. As the Tinubu administration prepares to launch a newer strategy document, which we are told in October 2025, it is hoped that the formulation and validation stages were inclusive of the stakeholders inside and outside the National Security Enterprise and that we see a more effective and efficient operationalisation of the human security framework and a synthesization of the instruments for harnessing the elements of state power as outlined above. By integrating the above-mentioned frameworks, harnessing the machinery of state power with the rule of law and civil society participation, and prioritising human security with citizen-focused solutions, Nigeria can forge a secure and just future.
[1] Nigeria’s 4D foreign policy doctrine, introduced under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and spearheaded by Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, represents a strategic framework aimed at redefining the country’s global engagement. The 4Ds stand for Democracy, Development, Demography, and Diaspora. This doctrine marks a shift from Nigeria’s traditionally Afrocentric and concentric foreign policy (prioritising West Africa, Africa, and then the rest of the world) to a more proactive, economically driven, and value-based approach.
Kabir Adamu is the Managing Director of Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited.
