Insecurity: Why Nigerians Must Be Cautious In Seeking Foreign Intervention — Experts

The Nigeria Political Scientists Association (NPSA), on Thursday, cautioned Nigerians against calling for foreign intervention to resolve the nation’s domestic security logjam.

It said that recent developments in the country have raised significant concerns regarding the potential for foreign intervention in the country’s domestic affairs.

The association, in a statement signed by its president, Prof. Hassan Saliu, described as worrisome the trend of invoking external assistance to address internal issues.

“During the August 2024 End Hunger/’Endbadgovernance protest, some demonstrators called upon Russia and other nations to intervene in Nigeria’s affairs—a move widely perceived as an aberration. Regrettably, a prominent opposition figure recently extended a similar invitation to a foreign country, ostensibly to restore stability amid party-related disputes. This call comes about against the backdrop of the United States’ threat of intervention over the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

“Our Association stated on 3 November 2025 through a release, cautioning against such American threats and emphasising that the root causes of external concerns are largely homegrown. We had argued that solutions to Nigeria’s problems should be sought domestically rather than through foreign intervention.

“While acknowledging possible exaggerations in the US claims, we recognised that ongoing violence and loss of life have compromised the country’s defence and its stance on the details of the killings in Nigeria, thereby calling the US claims into question.

“Specifically, we are alarmed by the recent invitation extended to the United States—which is already having tense relations with Nigeria—to intervene and save democracy.

“In light of America’s track record of interventions, it is imperative to scrutinise the motivations behind such calls. Historical evidence suggests that US interventions are most often informed by its national interests, specifically its economic interests, rather than by altruism. The proclivity of Nigerian politicians to seek external validation and intervention is, therefore, troubling,” NPSA said.

The association which noted that some politicians and religious-based non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have developed a habit of petitioning Western countries, calling for intervention in Nigeria’s domestic affairs, posited that: “The United States, in particular, is not an ideal partner for resolving Nigeria’s security challenges, given its alleged involvement in insecurity within the country. It is worth noting that its interventions in Iraq, Libya, Somalia, and Syria have yielded disastrous consequences for those nations.”

Rather than inviting foreign powers, NPSA recommended that Nigerians should pressure their government to address the root causes of insecurity.

“The government must understand that the recourse to external intervention is a double-edged sword and that citizens are already on the edge. It is not in its enlightened self-interest to allow conditions to deteriorate to the point that external intervention becomes inevitable. The solution to Nigeria’s problems lies in effective governance, not external intervention,” the group added.