Tinubu Orders Nationwide Security Assessment

Daftar Isi

President Tinubu Launches National Security and Economic Reforms

President Bola Tinubu has issued a directive for the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) to conduct a nationwide security diagnostic and provide actionable recommendations aimed at reforming Nigeria’s security architecture. This initiative was announced during a Presidential Parley with participants of the Senior Executive Course 47 at the State House, Abuja.

The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, represented the President at the event. According to a statement signed by the VP’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, the President framed the security task alongside a fresh economic blueprint focused on Nigeria’s marine and aquatic wealth.

Tinubu emphasized the importance of NIPSS as the intellectual engine driving national transformation. He urged scholars to remain bold, solution-driven, and grounded in the country's realities. The president assured that the policy paper would be submitted within an agreed timeline and receive his utmost attention.

A Vision for the Blue Economy

The Nigerian leader described the blue economy as a core engine of national transformation. He outlined a new security and economic framework aimed at unlocking Nigeria’s vast marine and aquatic resources. This sector is considered one of the most critical areas for national development.

Tinubu directed all relevant ministries, departments, and agencies to immediately review and implement recommendations from the NIPSS study on blue economy development. He highlighted the potential of the blue economy to diversify revenue sources, create sustainable employment, and revitalize ecosystems essential for national development.

“If properly harnessed, this sector could become an anchor of shared prosperity for generations,” he said. The President welcomed the findings of the NIPSS study on Blue Economy and Sustainable Development in Nigeria, calling it a timely resource that outlines opportunities, challenges, and necessary policy refinements.

Strengthening Institutional Capabilities

Tinubu praised NIPSS for maintaining its tradition of analytical rigor, creativity, and patriotic duty. He noted Nigeria’s marine endowments, including an 853-kilometre coastline, rich fisheries, extensive inland waterways, and a strategic location within the Gulf of Guinea, which place the country in a strong position to build new growth avenues.

The administration is prioritizing aquaculture expansion, port and maritime corridor modernization, coastal tourism, marine biotechnology, and renewable ocean energy. These opportunities, according to the president, lie within our grasp if we act with discipline and intentionality.

Reaffirming his administration’s reform agenda, Tinubu highlighted the establishment of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy as a critical step toward improving port management systems, strengthening maritime security operations, and enabling private-sector growth.

Addressing Ongoing Challenges

While acknowledging that more work lies ahead, Tinubu directed all relevant ministries, departments, and agencies to study and prepare to implement the NIPSS recommendations. He stressed that economic ambitions in the blue economy cannot be realized without a safe and stable environment.

Although piracy has reduced through the Deep Blue Project, the president warned about ongoing threats such as oil theft, illegal fishing, smuggling, vandalism, and kidnapping, which undermine national revenues and investor confidence. “These threats are real, and this Administration is taking decisive steps to address them,” Tinubu said.

Insights from the NIPSS Report

Earlier, the Director-General of NIPSS, Prof. Ayo Omotayo, thanked President Tinubu for the support the institution has received, as well as the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, for providing funding for SEC 47.

The team visited several Nigerian states and 14 countries outside Nigeria, presenting their findings titled “Blue Economy and Sustainable Development in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities.”

Colonel Murkar Dauda highlighted the content of the report, noting that the Federal Government is already addressing systemic gaps in the blue economy while commending the President for his visionary leadership.

Key Recommendations from the Report

The report identified several challenges, including governance, institutional coordination, and policy coherence, as well as infrastructure falling below global standards. However, it also emphasized the numerous opportunities available in Nigeria.

“Fisheries and aquaculture remain strong entry points for Nigeria,” the report added, advising that diversifying revenue sources will unlock new earnings for the country.

In its recommendations, the Federal Government was advised to launch a national fisheries expansion programme, leveraging public-private investments to increase fish production from the current 1.2 metric tonnes to 10 metric tonnes within two years.

The report also recommended expanding the revenue base of the marine and blue economy sector while developing a comprehensive marine and blue economy financing framework. Additionally, the Institute stressed the need for the Federal Government to review and harmonize all legal, policy, and institutional frameworks on the marine and blue economy, establish an innovative marine and blue economy skills, job creation, and social inclusion framework, as well as enhance the safety and security of inland water bodies.