The Honourable Minister of Defence General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd), OFR has declared that true and lasting national security cannot be achieved by military force alone, but must be anchored on defeating ignorance, conquering hopelessness, and defending democratic values.
Speaking on Friday at the June 12 Special Edition of The Platform Nigeria, the Minister paid tribute to the sacrifices that birthed Nigeria’s democracy and warned that modern security threats require a rapid, technology-driven evolution in the nation’s defence strategy.
Delivering a presentation titled “Securing Our Nation,” the Minister stressed that meaningful economic gains can only be sustained when security is guaranteed.
“When we speak of national defence, the instinct is to focus on boots on the ground, air power, or intelligence gathering,” he said. “But true and lasting security is anchored on one critical element: the defeat of ignorance and the conquest of hopelessness. No democracy can flourish where fear dominates daily life.”
He provided a balanced assessment of Nigeria’s security situation, acknowledging milestones recorded by the Armed Forces, including the neutralisation of key terrorist leaders and the disruption of major criminal networks.
General Musa noted, however, that modern threats such as banditry, kidnapping, cybercrime, and transnational violent extremism are highly adaptive and increasingly interconnected, often using social media to spread misinformation and exploit social divisions.
This year’s edition of The Platform was themed: “Governance, Democracy and National Security.”
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Leah Katung-Babatunde
Special Adviser (Media) to the Honourable Minister of Defence