The Minister of Defence, H.E. Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has reaffirmed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s unwavering commitment to strengthening national security across Nigeria.
Badaru gave the assurance while addressing participants at the North-West Zonal Security Summit held on Saturday at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Hall, Kaduna.
The summit was convened by the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on National Security to deliberate on pressing security concerns in the region and develop collaborative solutions.
According to the Minister, President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda places security, unity and community resilience at the centre of national development.
“The President envisions a harmonious Nigeria built on shared prosperity, mutual tolerance and equal respect for all citizens,” Badaru said.
He noted that enhanced collaboration among security agencies has yielded significant progress but stressed the need for a more adaptive national security framework.
The Minister described national security as a collective responsibility, calling for active participation of citizens, communities and state governments.
He commended governors for providing logistics and early-warning mechanisms, while praising traditional rulers, women, youth groups, religious leaders and civil society actors for their peace-building roles.
Badaru also urged sustained inter-agency collaboration to improve intelligence sharing and secure schools and rural communities.
He applauded the Senate for initiating the summit, saying it promotes transparency and accountability in the security sector.
In a statement issued after the summit, the Minister’s spokesman, Mati Ali, said:
“The Ministry of Defence remains fully committed to working with all stakeholders to build stability, strengthen community confidence and advance the Renewed Hope Agenda across the North-West.”
The summit attracted Kaduna State Governor Senator Uba Sani, the Deputy Governor of Sokoto State, representatives of other state governments, traditional rulers, Ulama and civil society organisations.