[Discourse Summary] ROAD TO STABILITY: Rebuilding Nigeria's Security and Governance Architecture

Patrick O. Okigbo in conversation with Dr. Akali Omeni

On May 21, 2025,

Patrick O. Okigbo III

, Founding Partner at Nextier, engaged Dr. Akali Omeni in a candid conversation on Nigeria’s fractured security landscape and the urgent task of rebuilding its security and governance architecture. Dr. Omeni is the Founder and Principal Consultant at Terrorism Studies Consultancy. He holds a PhD in Defence Studies from King's College London and has authored several books, including Counter-Insurgency in Nigeria and Policing and Politics in Nigeria: A Comprehensive History.

The discussion commenced with a reflection on the colonial origins of the Nigerian Police Force. Dr Omeni traced its roots to a structure designed not for public safety but for imperial control. Early efforts at policing were imposed externally and were extractive in nature. Even after independence, failing to reimagine the police as a public-serving institution meant the force retained its coercive DNA. Successive military regimes further entrenched authoritarian behaviours and hindered institutional reform. According to Dr. Omeni, the postcolonial state never truly transitioned from a "force" to a "service."

Central to this legacy is the idea that the police exist to protect the powerful, rather than the people. The “Nigerianisation” of the police — a necessary post-independence step — was poorly managed, which lowered recruitment standards and embedded unprepared individuals into positions of power. These historical choices, he argued, continue to shape the force's culture today. Meanwhile, debates over centralised versus decentralised policing often overlook the fundamental issue: the welfare and legitimacy of the personnel on the ground.

Shifting focus to the military, the discussion explored why Nigeria's armed forces, once admired for regional interventions such as the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG), have faced difficulties in combating domestic insurgents like Boko Haram. The issue, as Dr. Omeni articulated, resides in training and mindset. The military is accustomed to state-on-state warfare, rather than the complex, prolonged efforts required for counterinsurgency. In asymmetric conflicts, insurgents frequently assimilate into local populations. Conventional battlefield strategies and metrics like body count become ineffective and perilous.

More troubling, he noted, is the chronic underfunding and mismanagement of the defence budget. Resources are siphoned off through corruption, leaving troops without basic supplies, adequate housing, or medical support. For both soldiers and police officers, low pay, poor conditions, and a lack of dignity foster an environment of frustration and vulnerability, where extortion, abuse, and indiscipline thrive.

The conversation also unpacked the regional and social dynamics driving the insurgency. Numerous groups operating in the Lake Chad Basin traverse porous borders that divide cultural communities. Recruitment is frequently motivated not by ideology but by desperation. Young people without prospects, ensnared in poverty or addiction, become easy targets. Dr. Omeni described them as "biographically available" — ready to join, not out of conviction but out of survival.

Dr. Omeni emphasised that most reform efforts fail because they focus on appearances or equipment procurement rather than structural reforms. Instead of reconstructing police systems or enhancing welfare, governments often establish new tactical units or formations that do little to address the root causes. Furthermore, the government is directing the military, rather than the police, to focus on ensuring internal security. For instance, the war on Boko Haram has seen military spending soar, while police funding, which is essential for stabilisation operations, has remained insufficient.

He contended that leadership failure is central to this issue. Too often, Nigeria's security actors operate without a clear strategy or long-term vision. Many leaders are ill-prepared, distracted, or reluctant to tackle entrenched interests. There is a pattern of resorting to external solutions—IMF packages, private contractors, or even prayer—instead of committing to domestic solutions and public institutions.

The discussion also touched on the farmer-herder conflict, linking it to environmental change. Shrinking water bodies like Lake Chad and decreased rainfall have pushed herders into areas occupied by farmers, sparking violent clashes. Military deployments offer short-term calm but not lasting resolution. Dr Omeni noted that conflict-sensitive policies are needed, including ranching, land access reforms, and sustainable water management.

He outlined key pillars for a long-term security strategy: improving welfare to restore dignity among security personnel, retraining forces to understand insurgency dynamics, ensuring agencies share intelligence efficiently, and cutting through bureaucratic bloat. Leaner institutions with the right people in the right roles, backed by a strong culture of accountability, could help Nigeria avoid repeating past mistakes.

Finally, Dr. Omeni warned that fragmentation within insurgent groups such as Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Ansaru does not necessarily signal progress. These splinters often act erratically and can be even harder to contain. While regional cooperation on intelligence is vital, he stressed that Nigeria must lead its fight. Insurgency is ultimately a local problem, and the police, if properly reformed, must be at the centre of the solution.

Click above or here to watch the discussion between Patrick O. Okigbo III and Dr. Akali Omeni. Other episodes of Development Discourse with Patrick O. Okigbo III are available here.

Nextier: Building the society we want to live in.