The Minister of Defence, Gen Christopher Musa (retd.), on Saturday said the ongoing conflicts involving Israel, Iran, the United States, Russia and Ukraine were making it difficult for Nigeria and other countries to procure military equipment needed to tackle insecurity.
He also lamented the absence of a comprehensive national database, saying it was hampering the efforts of security agencies, particularly the police, in tracking criminals and preventing crimes across the country.
The minister stated this in Abuja while delivering a keynote address at the Nigerian People’s Strategic Conference and Defence Exhibition 2026.
Speaking on the challenges facing the country’s security architecture, Musa said global conflicts had disrupted access to military hardware, underscoring the need for Nigeria to strengthen local defence production.
“With the war in Ukraine, Russia, Iran, US and Israel, it has been extremely difficult getting equipment. Most times, they do down payment because they have the money and they produce most of these items. So, even when you go to get, they have booked for them, so it’s difficult. The only solution is for us to produce what we need,” he said.
The minister commended indigenous defence manufacturers and innovators, urging greater government support and patronage for locally produced military equipment.
He also called on the National Assembly to support the creation of a comprehensive database for all Nigerians, describing it as critical to modern policing and national security.
“I want to also appeal to the National Assembly on the issue of a database. We must develop a database for every Nigerian in this world. There is a capacity to do that.
“It is only with that that it will make the job a lot easier for security forces. The Nigerian police is struggling because they don’t have a database to track, to trace,” he said.
Musa added that despite the limitations, the police had continued to record notable successes in crime fighting.
“I commend them because I think they are performing magic. Some of the crimes they’re able to bring out, I can tell you it’s extremely difficult without a database,” he said.
The minister stressed that security agencies could not effectively tackle crime without timely intelligence from citizens, warning against public indifference to criminal activities within communities.
“Security agencies are not magicians. If they don’t get the support and information at the right time, it becomes extremely difficult to curtail it,” he said.
He cited incidents of vandalism of public infrastructure, including roads, railway facilities and solar-powered streetlights, saying such crimes often occurred in communities where residents failed to report suspicious activities.
Musa further urged state governors to ensure that increased federal allocations translated into development at the grassroots, arguing that poverty, illiteracy and unemployment remained major drivers of insecurity.
“The tendency is now to throw everything at the federal. And I can tell you, Mr President is doing so well because if you look at the amount of money being released monthly to the governors, it is important for us to be able to make sure that these things get down to the people so that we can stop issues of poverty and illiteracy,” he said.
The minister also advocated proper regulation of the Civilian Joint Task Force and other community-based security outfits, warning that arming unvetted groups could worsen insecurity.
Recalling his experience as a commander in the North-East, Musa said members of the Civilian JTF had played vital roles in supporting military operations against insurgents.
“The communities were the ones who selected the youths that they knew had very positive mindset without any crime. The police and the DSS profiled them, the military trained them, and we used them to enhance the communities under the armed forces.
“It must be regulated, because it is important. If you put weapons in the wrong hands, it might become counterproductive,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, said the National Assembly would continue to support security agencies through legislation, oversight and funding, while stressing that military operations alone could not address Nigeria’s security challenges.
Kalu, who described insecurity as a multifaceted problem, said greater attention must be given to poverty, unemployment, poor education, weak local governance and social exclusion.
“As Parliament, we remain committed to supporting our security institutions through legislation, oversight and adequate funding to ensure they are properly equipped to meet the expectations of Nigerians.
“However, our approach to security must extend beyond kinetic operations. While military and law enforcement responses remain necessary, sustainable security requires greater emphasis on non-kinetic measures.”
The Deputy Speaker also backed calls for improved national data management, saying reliable data was critical for governance, economic planning and security operations.
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