Nigeria’s security crisis has persisted for over a decade and there’s every need to explore more options to urgently and permanently end it. That is why we looked at it last week by calling on President Tinubu to send an executive bill on state police to the National Assembly for urgent consideration and passage into law.

From a lack of political will to address it decisively on the one hand, to politicizing security matters, alleged sabotage by key players, as well as faulty security architecture, have all not helped but only exposed Nigeria to more serious existential risks.

Starting with the Chibok 276 female students’ abduction which opened the flood gate, more abductions have followed even at worship centres with more pains on a helpless country and people. Kidnappings for ransom have become a new normal with victims’ families living in pains: how to get the money to give the kidnappers and how to cope with the mental torture being influcted on them.

Consequently, the imperative to tame the tide of insecurity cannot be over-emphasised. That is why the then Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) now Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa’s call while delivering a keynote address at the inaugural Voice of Nigeria (VON) lecture in Abuja on June 3rd. 2025, for the seal up of all borders with neighbours: Benin Republic, Chad, Cameroon and Niger as one of the solutions needs to be looked into. Desperate situations need desperate solutions.

At the lecture with the theme: “Renewed Hope Agenda: Citizens’ Engagement and National Security” , one of his solutions to terrorism apart from fencing up Nigeria is having good governments at the local government level. Good governance is a panacea no doubt because without it, there can’t be justice and fairness in the distribution of scarce resources and opportunities. Again, it is only with it that citizens, especially young people can have hope for a better life now and tomorrow.

We are gladdened that, with the US’ talking tough with threats to come in with guns a blazing to stop the genocide against Christians, there is a gradual turn around of the situation, including Mohammed Badaru’s resignation as defence minister with Gen Christopher Musa stepping in. There are calls that Bello Matawelle too should resign because of his complicit relationship with terror king pins and even defending them while in office as Governor. If found wanting, he needs to be shown the exit door.

After addressing the issue of leadership, the human component crucial in steming the security crises, no effort or viable step should be spared to secure Nigerians’ lives and property. Building walls, considered in some quarters as too expensive, in our opinion, is worth considering. Irrespective of ECOWAS” protocol of free movement among member states and provisions in the African free trade agreement, securing the country from external security threats, including terrorists is an existential necessity. Indeed, free movement must not be preferred at the expense of Nigeria’s sovereignty and survival.

We are aware however that building a massive wall around Nigerian borders will not come easy especially because of high costs. Consequently, we call for budgetary provisions that run for years to be carefully worked out to do this.

Also, for those identifying corruption among the military as something that will make nonsense of the border fence, we do not agree with this narrative. This negative mind-set about Nigeria is dangerously retrogressive. So, we dare to believe that not all Nigerians are corrupt just like not all military officers, including the rank and file, are corrupt. There are fine, professional and patriotic ones whose only reason to join the military is to serve the fatherland well.

Nigeria is complex and so are the many complex factors fueling insecurity especially banditry and terrorism. But what we longer see to be an option is negotiating with the criminals as people like Sheikh Gumi are canvasing for.

In a StateHouse press statement last week, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu called on the national assembly to review laws for states that require state police to establish them.

By that statement, the president has raised hope about the matter of state police. It equally reminds of raised and dashed hopes in the past. In 2012, for example, the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) collectively were for it. But days after their meeting in Abuja, northern governors changed their position saying they preferred to support the NPF to secure their states.

In 2024, the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) under IGP Kayode Egbetokun at a national assembly colloquium opposed it through his representative, AIG Okolo. This may have been due to professional jealousy though. But President Muhammadu Buhari too was known not to support it. Even some security experts opposed state police for various reasons.

Today, due to the rising wave of insecurity, there seems to be a new wave of support for it. State houses of assembly across Nigeria seem eager and willing to debate and support it once handled from the national assembly, and sent o them. This, for example, is the view of the Plateau State House of Assembly speaker. Daniel Naalong. The story is the same from sokoto, Borno, Zamfara in the north and other states across the geographical divide.

Nigeria’s Conference of Speakers (NCS) also strongly supports state police. The Speakers’ Conference, through its Chairman, Adebo Ogundoyin (Oyo State) even insists that the security challenges across states can only be solved by state police.

We acknowledge that one of the reasons against state police has been the fear of governors using it arbitrarily: to rig elections, harass their enemies and forge it into their personal or the party-in-power’s gestapo. There may be cases to justify this fear. But that, in our view, is not enough reason to deny Nigerians of more police personnel to serve them. Currently. Nigeria is grossly under policed with about 780 officers policing over 250 million. This is about one policeman covering over 600 persons as against the UN’s 450 policemen to one person.

President Tinubu’s directive for engaging additional 50 000 hands still falls far short of the needed police to adequately police the country. This is again where more and multi-layered policing could come in not just to fill the gap. State Police should be given to focus more on community policing, concentrating on intelligence gathering, detection and foiling crimes, including security threats.

The new Police should be purposely designed to avoid or correct the known defects within the Nigeria Police Force. For instance, the name, focus and orientation of the body should genuinely reflect service. The officers too should be groomed to think, feel and do humanitarian service and nothing else.

The elevations or promotions of its commanders and the rank and file, should be distilled from their knack for detecting, exposing crime and criminals and or defending the people in distress times. Right from the top to bottom, the background and antecedents of the personnel should be ascertained.

It mustn’t be allowed to become a squad for nuisance value or executors of illicit jobs for political gladiators.

Furthermore, we feel without gainsaying that.the time for state police is now that there is a clarion call for it. Consequently, we are convinced that, irrespective of the outcomes from the Nigeria-US pact to flush out the savagery criminals making life a hell for citizens and residents, state police has a role to play in sustaining security across all states of the federation.

It now deserves far beyond being on the front burner of national discourse. It needs to come alive. That is why, in our view, President Tinubu should direct the Attorney General of the Federation to immediately send an executive bill on state police to the national assembly for prompt deliberations and passage into law. As the saying goes, it is better to

The news from the National Council for Health (NCH) which took place in Calabar, Cross River State, on 17th -21st November, 2025 that Nigeria records over 500,000 new tuberculosis cases every year, is very disturbing.

Details of the TB surge indicate that Nigeria is the number one country in Africa and the 6th globally with infected persons. Out of this figure, 57,000 victims are children. Global TB Report 2024 also shows that Nigeria loses a life every 8 minutes.

The figures are alarming and the threat from this infectious disease can not be wished away. To say the least, the disease must not be allowed to stay due to the fact that children, the regenerating force of any society, are also at great risk. But the TB threat is not from the blues. It is due to health care failures and personal bad habits. In other words, the general weak universal health coverage of Nigeria is in jeopardy. From primary through secondary and tertiary health institutions, there are manifest laxities.

Nigeria is also at risk also because of President Trump’s dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). While alive, Nigeria was one of the top 10 beneficiaries from it. In 2023 alone, she received over 600 million dollars in health grants.

Currently, Nigeria needs about 404 million dollars to treat TB patients some of who are also HIV positive. Without USAID, meeting this huge financial obligation is tough thus denying patients access to vital drugs. They are therefore exposed to risks including deaths.

But without foreign aid. we believe that Nigeria can handle this problem. Looking inwards and taking all the appropriate or necessary steps would fill in the gaps. That is why it is worth stressing that the Federal Government and states’ upscaling of funding is imperative to address the TB surge and other health challenges.

The 2026 budget of each state, in our opinion, should give priority to health with at least additional two percent going to health. It is without gainsaying that health is wealth. It is indeed not just one of the necessary ingredients for national development but the means to attaining individual self actualisation as well as communal dreams.

Similarly, since the bacteria that causes TB is airborne, collective efforts need to be given priority to stop the TB surge. Adequate sensitization and awareness campaigns should be put in place to educate citizens by government at all levels. We feel that avoiding close contact with TB victims is key in the fight. Also, personal hygiene measures such as washing hands regularly would help. Equally helpful is for citizens’ covering of their mouth while coughing or sneezing.

In addition, other healthy life styles such as eating balanced diets and regular exercises would help greatly in curtailing the speed of TB and other harmful diseases.

We believe too that ensuring that buildings have provisions for proper cross ventilation is strategic in stopping the spread of TB.

What is further needed is the genuine will to effectively apply the money we are calling for to be injected in the health sector. Budgeting money without prudent use won’t help.

It is equally important to give priority attention to the welfare of health personnel in order to stop them from migrating for greener pastures.

On the whole, we call for concerted collective efforts for Nigeria to stop not just the spread of the disease but to achieve the UN’s 2030 global target to end TB.