Weak Borders Fueling Terrorism, Arms Smuggling — Ribadu

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The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, has iden­tified porous borders as a major factor fueling terrorism, arms trafficking, smuggling, human trafficking and irregular migra­tion in Nigeria.

Ribadu stated this on Tues­day in Abuja at the opening of the 15th National Security Sem­inar organised by the Alumni Association of the National Defence College (AANDEC), in collaboration with ONSA and NDC.

He was represented by the Director of Policy and Strategy at ONSA, Amb. Yazid Gbemu­du, at the seminar with theme, ‘Strengthening Nigeria’s Bor­der Security Architecture for National Stability’.

The NSA said Nigeria’s ter­ritorial integrity and national stability remained closely linked to the effectiveness of its border security architecture.

According to him, while Nigeria’s extensive land and maritime borders provide op­portunities for trade, regional integration and socio-economic development, they also expose the country to a range of trans­national security threats.

“These borders facilitate trade, regional integration and socio-economic development, but they also expose the coun­try to threats such as terrorism, arms trafficking, smuggling, human trafficking, irregular migration and other forms of transnational organised crime.

“These challenges under­score the urgent need for a comprehensive and coordinat­ed approach to border manage­ment. Weak border governance creates vulnerabilities that can be exploited by criminal and terrorist networks, thereby un­dermining national security and development efforts,” he said.

Ribadu said the National Border Management Strategy remained a major pillar of Ni­geria’s contemporary border se­curity framework, promoting an integrated border management approach.

He said the strategy was de­signed to enhance intelligence collaboration, strengthen border infrastructure, improve surveil­lance capabilities and modernise border management processes.

According to him, the deploy­ment of Border Management Information Systems and other technological solutions at key en­try and exit points has improved data collection, traveller screen­ing and migration monitoring.

The NSA called for the full implementation of an integrat­ed border management system to improve coordination among security, intelligence and law en­forcement agencies.

He said effective intelligence sharing, joint operations and harmonised border procedures were essential for addressing contemporary security threats.

Ribadu also advocated in­creased investment in tech­nology-driven border security solutions, including biometric identification systems, advanced surveillance technologies and data-driven security frame­works.

He stressed the need for stron­ger regional and bilateral coop­eration, noting that many of the security challenges confronting Nigeria’s borders were transna­tional in nature and required coordinated responses among neighbouring countries.

According to him, strengthen­ing border communities through sustainable development, im­proved infrastructure and eco­nomic opportunities is equally important in reducing vulner­ability to criminal exploitation and promoting stability.

The seminar brought to­gether senior military officers, security experts, policymakers, diplomats, academics and other stakeholders to discuss strate­gies for strengthening Nigeria’s border security architecture and enhancing national stability.