Yuletide: Governors Order Tightened Security Nationwide

Governors, under the auspices of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), have ordered heightened security measures nationwide ahead of the 2025 Yuletide 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 also 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 December 12, 2025, which recognised thirteen states for outstanding progress in strengthening primary healthcare systems.

Yobe State emerged as the national overall winner at the awards, 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 these gains to strengthen primary healthcare delivery further nationwide.