The Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (Rtd.), has said intensified military operations are gradually restoring stability in Nigeria’s economic corridors, agricultural belts and industrial zones, assuring investors that the government is intensifying efforts to tackle insecurity.
Musa spoke while delivering a keynote address titled “National Security: Pathway to a Trillion-Dollar Economy” at the 56th Annual Accountants’ Conference of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) in Abuja. BuyMaps
He said sustainable national security, effective governance, and credible institutions are indispensable to Nigeria’s ambition to build a trillion-dollar economy.
According to the minister, national security must extend beyond conventional military operations and law enforcement to include protecting human capital, critical infrastructure, and the conditions needed to attract long-term investment.
“No investor commits capital where lives and assets are not safe, and no economy grows beyond the reach of its security,” he said.
Acknowledging the country’s security challenges, including targeted attacks on communities, highway kidnappings and sporadic insurgent activities, Musa said the Armed Forces were intensifying operations to reclaim vulnerable areas and protect economic activities.
He said the ongoing efforts aimed to restore stability across strategic economic corridors, agricultural belts, and industrial zones, which are critical to national productivity and growth.
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Aligning the government’s security strategy with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the minister outlined five priorities for leveraging national security to drive economic expansion.
“These include Protection of Strategic Economic Assets, Promoting Good Governance & Human Capital, Defence Financial Discipline, Cybersecurity & Financial Intelligence and Domestic Defence Industrial Capacity,” he said.
To strengthen institutional collaboration, Musa announced the establishment of a joint Ministry of Defence–ICAN Implementation Committee to develop a cooperation framework proposed by ICAN President Hajia Queensley Seghosime.
He said the partnership would focus on specialised training in public financial management and accounting standards for Armed Forces personnel; joint programmes in forensic accounting and financial intelligence to combat terrorism financing; and improved corporate governance and welfare schemes for veterans.
The minister commended ICAN for its commitment to fiscal discipline and transparency, stressing that a secure environment and sound financial management were essential to Nigeria’s long-term economic prosperity.
The conference attracted professional accountants, policymakers and business leaders.
