Presidency Targets Unified Surveillance, Border Security In Homeland Security Drive

The Presidency has identified the implementation of a unified surveillance programme and the strengthening of border security as key priorities in its renewed efforts to bolster Nigeria’s homeland security architecture.

The agenda took centre stage on Friday as the special adviser to the president on Homeland Security, Major General Adeyinka Famadewa (rtd), convened the maiden Homeland Security Stakeholders’ Meeting at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation in Abuja.

The meeting brought together heads and representatives of key Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), alongside other critical stakeholders, to deepen inter-agency collaboration in tackling the country’s evolving security challenges.

In his opening remarks, Famadewa said President Bola Tinubu remains committed to building a secure, resilient and technology-driven homeland security ecosystem capable of responding effectively to both current and emerging threats.

He stressed that achieving the objective would require sustained collaboration, intelligence sharing and coordinated action among all relevant institutions.

According to him, discussions at the meeting focused on practical frameworks for implementing four strategic priorities: a Unified Surveillance Programme to enhance situational awareness nationwide; stronger identity management to address anonymity exploited by criminal elements; improved border security through enhanced coordination, technology deployment and intelligence-led operations; and more effective early warning, crisis reporting and response mechanisms for timely detection and coordinated action.

Famadewa explained that the mandate of his office is to complement, rather than replace, the efforts of existing security agencies, while commending the armed forces and other security organisations for their sacrifices in restoring peace across the country.

He also underscored the importance of non-kinetic measures in building societal resilience against security threats.

Participants at the meeting exchanged views based on their respective institutional mandates and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration in implementing the identified priorities.

They agreed that the increasingly complex nature of contemporary security challenges requires a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach anchored on collaboration, information sharing, technological innovation and institutional coordination.

The meeting ended with a commitment to establish effective coordination mechanisms, sustain regular stakeholder engagements and develop actionable implementation frameworks to translate the agreed priorities into measurable outcomes in support of national security and public safety.

Among those who attended were the Permanent Secretary, Special Services Office; the Comptroller-General of Customs; the Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service; the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU); the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC); and the Director-General of the Office for Strategic Preparedness and Resilience (OSPRE). Representatives of the armed forces, relevant ministries, security and intelligence agencies, regulatory bodies and other stakeholders were also in attendance.