Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has identified four essential components intelligence, training, equipment, and technology as the critical framework necessary to defeat Nigeria’s widespread and persistent security challenges.
Obasanjo made this crucial intervention on Sunday, the 7th of December, 2025, during The Toyin Falola Interviews, a virtual discussion hosted by Professor Toyin Falola.
The former president was engaged in conversation by Bishop Matthew Kukah, founder of the Kukah Centre, and Professor Kingsley Moghalu, a former presidential candidate.
The former president acknowledged that insecurity has permeated every state and corner of the nation, emphasizing that a modern, comprehensive strategy is mandatory to restore peace.
He insisted that the steps required are non-negotiable: strengthening intelligence gathering capabilities, significantly upgrading the training of all security personnel, ensuring adequate and modern equipment for the armed forces, and fully integrating advanced technology into security operations.
Obasanjo underlined the need for commitment beyond the technical requirements: “When I talk about intelligence, training, equipment, and technology, I know exactly what I am saying. And beyond all these, we must cultivate the right attitude, an honest commitment, to confront insecurity decisively.”
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Obasanjo cautioned that the Federal Government must maintain national unity in its response, ensuring that no geographical region is neglected during ongoing security operations. He stressed that the sheer scale of the crisis demands both a unified national front and strategic global partnership.
He maintained that the problem has evolved far past regional boundaries and must be treated as a nationwide emergency.
“We have security challenges across the South-East, South-West, and North-East. This is a national issue,” he said, before urging the government to be willing to seek outside support. “If our government is overwhelmed, there is nothing wrong with turning to the international community. We are part of a global family, and the world has a vested interest in our peace and stability.”
Finally, the former President sounded an alarm regarding the growing demographic of out-of-school children. He warned that the failure to adequately address this educational crisis today will inevitably lead to the creation of significant long-term security threats for the nation.