Security Overhaul in Focus as House of Reps Hosts Landmark Dialogue on Nigeria’s National Security Architecture
By Exponent News | Akure | June 16, 2025
In a bold move to tackle Nigeria’s persistent security challenges, the House of Representatives is convening a high-level legislative dialogue today aimed at overhauling the country’s national security architecture through constitutional reform.
Organised by the House Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the dialogue—scheduled for 9:00 AM at the National Counter Terrorism Centre in Abuja—is themed “Nigeria’s Peace and Security: The Constitutional Imperatives.”
Top brass from Nigeria’s security institutions, including National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Christopher Musa, Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, DSS Director-General Oluwatosin Ajayi, and NIA Director-General Amb. Mohammed Mohammed, will engage directly with lawmakers, legal experts, civil society actors, and community leaders.
Chaired by Deputy Speaker Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, CFR, the Committee aims to gather critical input to shape legislative efforts addressing structural weaknesses in the country’s security and policing framework. A major focus will be HB-617—a proposed bill to establish state police and redefine Nigeria’s law enforcement architecture.
The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Ph.D, GCON, is expected to deliver goodwill remarks, while President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, will deliver the keynote address.
This legislative dialogue comes at a crucial juncture, as Nigeria grapples with escalating internal and transnational security threats. Lawmakers say the event is part of a deliberate strategy by the 10th House to create a collaborative space where security stakeholders can shape lasting constitutional solutions.
Expected outcomes include:
Concrete recommendations on key security bills.
A framework for inter-agency cooperation.
A legislative roadmap for police reform and border security.
Heightened public understanding of constitutional pathways to reform.
“This is not just a talk shop,” said House Spokesman Rep. Akin Rotimi, Jr. “The House is determined to translate dialogue into decisive legislative action that protects all Nigerians.”
The initiative underscores the House’s resolve to confront Nigeria’s security challenges head-on, using constitutional tools to lay the foundation for a safer, more stable nation.
