Minister of Defence Christopher Musa has said Nigeria’s ambition to build a trillion-dollar economy depends on improved security, effective institutions and public confidence in the protection of lives and investments.
Musa made the argument in a keynote address at the 56th Annual Accountants’ Conference of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria in Abuja. Speaking on the relationship between national security and economic growth, he said businesses require predictable conditions before committing long-term capital.
According to a statement issued by his media aide Leah Katung-Babatunde, the minister urged policymakers to treat security as an economic issue encompassing critical infrastructure, cybersecurity, financial intelligence and human capital, rather than military operations alone.
He acknowledged continuing threats including attacks on communities, kidnapping and insurgent violence, while maintaining that military operations were working to improve conditions in vulnerable economic corridors.
Musa outlined priorities, including better protection of strategic assets, financial discipline in defence expenditure, stronger governance, and the development of local defence manufacturing capacity.
He also announced a joint implementation committee between the Ministry of Defence and ICAN to develop proposals for collaboration following suggestions by ICAN President Queensley Seghosime.
The minister’s remarks set out policy priorities; no independent assessment of their economic impact or the proposed committee’s implementation timetable was provided.
