Nigeria’s top security, political and socio-cultural leaders will gather in Abuja on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, for a National Dialogue on Security hosted by First Daily at the Yar’Adua Centre, under the theme “Declaration of State of Emergency on Insecurity: Matching Words with Action.”
Retired General Martin Luther Agwai will chair the gathering, with a keynote from former Chief of Defence Staff General Lucky Irabor and a Nigeria Democratic Congress leader serving as co-chairman. The guest list reflects the scale of the ambition: the Minister of Defence, Minister of State for Defence, Minister of Interior, National Security Adviser, Inspector General of Police, Director General of the Department of State Services and the service chiefs have all been invited, alongside senior officials from Customs, Immigration and the Civil Defence Corps. Political figures across party lines are on the list too, including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Seriake Dickson, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Rotimi Amaechi and the Social Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, as are leaders of groups such as Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Afenifere, the Arewa Consultative Forum, PANDEF and the Ijaw National Congress.
Organizers describe the goal as a non partisan platform for frank, solution driven conversation on Nigeria’s security architecture, one intended to examine the root causes of insecurity, interrogate existing policy, identify institutional gaps and produce concrete recommendations. The dialogue will also draw security experts, traditional rulers, civil society groups, diplomats, journalists, academics and youth representatives, with First Daily framing the event as engagement that transcends political divides in favor of the country’s security, unity and wellbeing.
