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By Jonathan Atumerho
In the not too distant past, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in Nigeria was dogged by all sorts of allegations of shady deals, corrupt practices and sheer incompetence that spoke loudly of misplaced priorities and negligence in the discharge of the core duties of formulating, articulating, coordinating and supervising the execution of policies and projects that would, ultimately, guarantee and enhance the security and safety of citizens across the country.
The stories in the public domain were thoroughly disgusting and provocative in equal measure. And this led inexorably to a protracted legal war between the state and those who allegedly committed the infractions.
But that is no longer the story. With the coming of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the appointment of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu as National Security Adviser, things have dramatically changed for the better. The results are increasingly telling the story.
Last week, the Presidency released a letter dated July 6, from the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu acknowledging Nigeria’s recent gains against terrorism, insurgency and banditry. The POTUS wrote: “It is a true honour to stand with you in the fight against these terrorists and to make the Federal Republic of Nigeria stronger and more prosperous”.
On the same day, former federal lawmaker, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, wrote on his verified Facebook page: “I commend Mallam Nuhu Ribadu’s strategic leadership. ONSA, working with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the US Mission, has validated Nigeria’s first comprehensive strategy against organised crime ahead of its planned August launch. Coordination and partnership are vital to lasting security.”
Those two developments may have escaped the attention of many Nigerians. Yet they captured, perhaps better than any official statement could, the quiet transformation taking place at the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
Mallam Nuhu Ribadu is doing a lot through coordination, strategic planning and supervision. The remarkable thing is that he is not making any noise about it. Unlike in the past when headlines often centred on controversies surrounding the office, today’s conversations are increasingly about outcomes.
Indeed, Nigeria now has an ONSA that appears more focused, more coordinated and decidedly more results-oriented than what existed before. The significance of this transformation lies in understanding what the National Security Adviser is expected to do. Contrary to popular perception, the NSA is not a field commander leading troops into battle. Rather, he serves as the strategic coordinator of Nigeria’s entire security architecture. He ensures that intelligence agencies, the Armed Forces, the Police, the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigeria Immigration Service and other relevant institutions work from the same script in pursuit of national security objectives.
For years, that coordination was often missing. Agencies worked in silos. Intelligence sharing was weak. Institutional rivalries frequently undermined operations. Terrorists, kidnappers and organised criminal gangs exploited those gaps with devastating consequences. That appears to be changing.
One of the defining features of Ribadu’s stewardship has been his insistence on intelligence-led operations backed by inter-agency cooperation. The renewed synergy between the military, intelligence agencies and law enforcement institutions has resulted in more coordinated offensives against terrorists, bandits and other violent criminal groups across different theatres of operation. The results have become increasingly visible.
In the North-East, sustained military pressure has continued to weaken the operational capabilities of Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). Several notorious commanders have been eliminated while many fighters have surrendered in large numbers. Military authorities have consistently reported the destruction of terrorist enclaves, recovery of sophisticated weapons and the rescue of kidnapped victims.
In the North-West, where banditry had assumed frightening dimensions, coordinated military operations have significantly degraded several criminal networks. Air strikes, combined with ground offensives based on actionable intelligence, have led to the neutralisation of notorious bandit kingpins and the destruction of their camps across states such as Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto and Kebbi.
Equally encouraging is the growing pressure on kidnapping syndicates operating in the North-Central and parts of the South. Security forces have rescued numerous victims while dismantling several criminal hideouts in forests that once served as safe havens for kidnappers.
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Although insecurity has certainly not disappeared, the balance is gradually shifting. Security agencies increasingly appear to be dictating the pace of engagements rather than merely reacting to attacks. Much of this progress is driven by improved coordination from ONSA.
And beyond kinetic military operations, Ribadu has also focused attention on strengthening Nigeria’s intelligence capabilities, disrupting terrorism financing, improving border security and addressing transnational organised crime. These are areas that rarely make newspaper headlines but remain fundamental to long-term national security.
One recent example is Nigeria’s collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the United States Mission in developing the country’s first comprehensive national strategy against organised crime. Organised criminal networks thrive on weak institutions, porous borders, illicit financial flows, drug trafficking and illegal arms movements. Tackling these threats requires more than military force. It demands institutional reforms, international cooperation and intelligence-driven policing. That is precisely the direction ONSA appears to be taking.
Perhaps even more significant is the growing confidence of Nigeria’s international partners. The acknowledgement by the United States President of Nigeria’s progress against terrorism was not merely diplomatic courtesy. Such communication reflects careful assessment by intelligence and security institutions that closely monitor developments across Africa. It suggests that Nigeria’s security efforts are increasingly receiving positive recognition among key international partners. This growing confidence has translated into stronger bilateral security cooperation between Nigeria and the United States.
Over the past year, both countries have deepened collaboration building and training. Nigerian security personnel continue to benefit from specialised programmes designed to enhance operational effectiveness against increasingly sophisticated criminal and terrorist networks.
Joint efforts have also focused on combating terrorism financing, cybercrime, illicit arms trafficking and transnational organised crime—all of which directly affect Nigeria’s internal security. Such partnerships matter.
Today’s security threats are no longer confined within national borders. Terrorist organisations recruit across countries. Criminal syndicates move weapons, drugs and finances through international networks. Intelligence, therefore, becomes the most valuable weapon in modern security operations. No country, regardless of its military strength, can successfully confront these threats in isolation. Nigeria’s improved engagement with the United States, the United Nations and other international partners, therefore, represents a strategic advantage.
Another remarkable aspect of Ribadu’s leadership is his relatively low public profile. In an era where many public officials compete for media attention, the National Security Adviser has largely allowed operational successes to speak for themselves. His approach appears anchored on the understanding that security is measured not by press conferences but by tangible improvements in citizens’ safety. This quiet style has helped keep attention focused on institutions rather than personalities.
Of course, significant challenges remain. Kidnapping still occurs. Terrorist attacks have not been completely eliminated. Farmers in some communities still face security threats while criminal gangs continue to exploit difficult terrains. No serious observer would suggest that Nigeria’s security problems have been solved overnight.
However, security sector reforms are seldom dramatic events. They are gradual processes requiring sustained investment, institutional discipline, improved intelligence and consistent political support. That is why what is happening at ONSA deserves closer attention. The office is quietly redefining its role from being largely reactive to becoming the central coordinating hub of Nigeria’s national security framework. Agencies are collaborating more closely. International partnerships are expanding. Intelligence is playing a greater role in operations. Military offensives are becoming more coordinated.
These developments may not always dominate newspaper headlines, but they are steadily reshaping Nigeria’s security landscape. Ultimately, history often remembers public institutions not by the volume of their announcements but by the impact of their work.
If the current trajectory is sustained, the Office of the National Security Adviser under Mallam Nuhu Ribadu may well be remembered as the period when strategic coordination replaced bureaucratic fragmentation, when quiet professionalism displaced needless drama, and when national security gradually became driven more by planning, intelligence and partnerships than by isolated responses. The revolution taking place at ONSA may indeed be silent. But across Nigeria’s battlefields, intelligence rooms, command centres and international security partnerships, its echoes are becoming impossible to ignore.
• Atumerho, an expert in security, cybercrime and terrorism control, writes from Abuja
