Yuletide: Governors Order Tight Security Nationwide

Governors under the platform of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), have ordered heightened security measures across the country ahead of the 2025 festive season.

This decision was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the 8th meeting of the forum held on Wednesday night and signed by the chairman of the NGF and governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

According to the communiqué, the forum received a communication from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) calling for heightened security preparedness across all states during the festive period due to increased population movements, large public gatherings and heightened public safety risks.

The governors resolved to strengthen inter-agency coordination, protect critical infrastructure and maintain a visible security presence in identified hotspots to ensure a safe and incident-free festive season nationwide.

The Forum also received notification from the World Bank confirming the effectiveness of the Additional Financing for the Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) Programme. This development enables continued disbursements to states to support livelihoods, food security, public works and resilience-building interventions.

Governors renewed their commitment to sustaining implementation momentum, ensuring timely reporting and maximising fund utilisation to deliver measurable outcomes for vulnerable households.
In addition, the Forum noted the outcome of the third edition of the Primary Health Care (PHC) Leadership Challenge Awards held on 12 December 2025, which recognised thirteen states for outstanding progress in strengthening primary healthcare systems.

Yobe State emerged as the national overall winner, while Zamfara, Nasarawa, Abia, Rivers and Osun States topped their respective geopolitical zones. Kwara, Gombe, Kaduna, Anambra, Bayelsa and Ogun States emerged as first runners-up.

The governors acknowledged that the results reflected the value of sustained political leadership and peer-driven accountability and committed to building on the gains to further strengthen primary healthcare delivery nationwide.