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By Lukman Olabiyi
Sujimoto Group, a Nigerian firm operating in construction, real estate development, energy, and finance, has proposed a large-scale fortified border and agro-development initiative estimated at ₦20 trillion, aimed at curbing terrorism, banditry, and cross-border crime in Nigeria.
The company said the proposal involves constructing an extensive fortified frontier along Nigeria’s most porous borders, alongside large-scale agricultural and rural development projects designed to address the economic drivers of insecurity.
According to a statement made available to the press by Kunle Rasheed, rising insecurity has persisted despite increased defence spending and troop deployments. Citing a 2024 Global Rights report, the firm noted that at least 24,816 Nigerians were killed between 2019 and 2024 due to insurgency, banditry, terrorism, and communal violence, with millions more displaced.
It also referenced estimates showing that Nigeria spent nearly ₦3 trillion on defence and security in 2023 alone, yet insecurity continued to worsen, costing the economy over ₦7.17 trillion through lost productivity, abandoned farmlands, and disrupted livelihoods.
Sujimoto argued that the problem lies not in a lack of resources but in weak strategy, stressing the need to integrate national security with economic development. “Security treated only as expenditure will never end fear. Security treated as infrastructure becomes an investment that multiplies value,” the company said.
The proposal includes the construction of modern concrete barriers, surveillance towers spaced at intervals of about 50 kilometres, high-resolution cameras, drone launch pads, rapid-response security bases, and access roads along key border corridors. Initial focus would be on border areas linking Nigeria with Niger and Cameroon, covering an estimated 2,900 kilometres.
The firm said the plan aligns with recent calls by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, for a fortified, technology-driven border security system to curb infiltration and arms trafficking.
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Beyond physical security measures, Sujimoto said the initiative would integrate agro-industrial zones behind the fortified borders. These zones would comprise large-scale farm estates, agro-processing hubs, housing, clinics, markets, and renewable energy infrastructure, aimed at creating jobs and stabilising border communities.
Under what it termed the Sujimoto Farm Estate Vision, between 20,000 and one million hectares of farmland could be developed across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, transforming vulnerable border regions into productive agricultural and industrial corridors.
“Insecurity is not only a military problem; it is an economic and developmental crisis. Where youth lack jobs, dignity, and opportunity, violence thrives. Development creates resilience, while security creates time. Together, they create stability,” the company said.
Sujimoto maintained that it has the technical capacity to deliver such large-scale infrastructure projects, citing its experience in high-end construction, including the rapid completion of its LucreziaBySujimoto luxury development in Lagos.
The proposal draws comparisons with fortified border systems in countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United States, and Israel, which combine physical barriers with advanced surveillance and rapid-response capabilities.
The company called on the Federal Government to consider the initiative as a public-private partnership, describing it as a long-term national investment rather than a conventional security project. It said fortified borders, productive farmlands, and empowered youth could help reposition Nigeria as a model for turning crisis into opportunity.
