FSSAM: Strengthening federal and state cooperation for national security, By Chido Onumah

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The third FSSAM meeting of 2026 reaffirmed the importance of a shared approach to Nigeria’s security. We must now carry that approach into the places where people live and work. Its success will be evident in institutions that respond more effectively, communities that can participate with confidence, and improvements in safety that citizens can recognise in their daily lives.

The third Federal and States Security Administrators’ Meeting (FSSAM) of 2026, held in Yola, Adamawa State, from 14 to 16 October, offered an important opportunity to examine how Nigeria can translate national security priorities into practical action in states and communities. Its central lesson is that effective security depends on institutions working together and on citizens having confidence in those institutions. Agreements reached around a conference table acquire meaning when they improve the everyday safety of the people.

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Convened through the Special Services Office (SSO) in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, FSSAM provides a platform for examining security concerns across jurisdictions and strengthening cooperation between federal and state officials. The Yola meeting brought these responsibilities into focus at a time when the country must sustain responses to violent threats, while addressing the social and governance conditions that shape public security.

The meeting reinforces a practical responsibility: we must help citizens understand security initiatives, create credible channels through which communities can raise concerns, and ensure that public feedback informs decisions. Communication is most useful when it connects government action with the experiences and expectations of the people.

Coordination that Reaches Communities

In his goodwill message, delivered by the Special Adviser on Governance and Subnational Matters, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu emphasised coordination, trust and structured engagement across all levels of government. He pointed to the monthly Joint Intelligence Board (JIB) meetings and the Forum of National and Subnational Security Officials (FONSSO) as mechanisms through which the Office of the National Security Adviser is strengthening collaboration.

FONSSO brings together senior security focal persons of the 36 state governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. As the NSA’s message explained, FSSAM and FONSSO are mutually reinforcing platforms. Their value lies in improving communication between institutions, supporting intelligence sharing and enabling more coordinated responses to threats.

The task ahead is to make these connections work consistently beyond the federal and state capitals. Local governments and communities need reliable routes for reporting concerns and receiving timely responses. Traditional institutions, community associations and civil society organisations can help officials understand local tensions and identify opportunities for mediation before disputes become violent.

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Such engagement requires clear responsibilities. People should know where to take a concern, which institution can act on it and how they will receive feedback. Community participation becomes more durable when citizens can see that their contributions are treated seriously and handled responsibly.

Governance As a Foundation for Security

The NSA’s message placed good governance at the centre of national stability. Strong institutions, respect for the rule of law, essential services and access to livelihoods all influence security outcomes. This understanding has direct implications for how we assess progress. Alongside operational achievements, we must consider whether communities can resume productive lives, access public services and resolve grievances through trusted institutions.

Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri’s address brought a state perspective to this discussion. He described his administration’s efforts to strengthen local traditional institutions, support security agencies and bring governance closer to communities. He also called for stronger federal support for border security and greater cooperation among agencies.

The governor’s account illustrates the importance of connecting security operations with development and local administration. His caution against premature declarations of victory is equally relevant. Progress requires sustained attention, particularly where communities continue to face insurgent threats, cross-border vulnerabilities and the consequences of earlier violence.

Public communication should reflect that balance. We should explain verified improvements and the work that produced them, while acknowledging continuing difficulties. Credibility grows when official accounts are accurate, proportionate and responsive to what citizens experience.

Strategic Communication and Public Trust

In his opening remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Special Services Office, Sani Yargaya Aminu, drew attention to preparations for the 2027 general elections, economic pressures and communicable diseases. Together with the presentations on cybersecurity and small arms control, these subjects demonstrate how widely the responsibilities of security administration extend.

For administrators, this means anticipating information needs and sustaining engagement before a crisis develops. Federal and state institutions should coordinate factual updates, clarify their respective responsibilities and provide information through channels that communities use and trust. Local radio and communication in relevant Nigerian languages are particularly useful for reaching people whose concerns may be poorly represented in national debate.

Listening must accompany these efforts. Questions about safety, transport costs, healthcare or livelihoods deserve substantive answers. Legitimate criticism should help government identify problems and improve its response. When institutions engage openly and respectfully, they strengthen the relationships on which cooperation depends.

The same principle applies to misinformation. Timely clarification should provide evidence, explain what is known and acknowledge what remains uncertain. Journalists, civil society organisations and community leaders can help people verify information, while retaining their independence and their responsibility to question public institutions. As deepfakes and impersonation become more sophisticated, institutions must also make authentic information easier to identify and verify.

Peaceful Elections and Civic Responsibility

The approaching 2027 general elections give added urgency to early planning and cooperation. Both the NSA’s message and the Permanent Secretary’s remarks emphasised the need to prevent inflammatory communication and strengthen coordination. A peaceful electoral environment depends on protecting participation and ensuring that political competition takes place within the law.

Security communication should give citizens clear information about their rights, reporting channels and the responsibilities of relevant institutions. Political actors must avoid incitement and intimidation, while grievances should be pursued through lawful processes. Security agencies must discharge their duties impartially so that every eligible citizen can participate safely.

The concerns raised about digital manipulation and illicit arms are also relevant to electoral preparedness. Institutions must be able to recognise and respond to false information capable of provoking violence, while strengthening lawful measures to prevent intimidation involving weapons.

Civil society and the media have important contributions to make through voter information, conflict prevention, fact-checking and public accountability. Engagement with women’s organisations, youth groups and local peacebuilders can also help officials recognise tensions that may otherwise escape attention. These relationships should be developed early and sustained beyond election periods.

Cybersecurity As a Shared Responsibility

The presentation by the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre (NCCC-ONSA) demonstrated how digital threats now intersect with public administration and everyday life. Its National Coordinator, Ahmad Sa’ad Abubakar, informed participants that the Centre was operational and available to support government institutions with cybersecurity planning, protection and readiness assessments.

He highlighted misinformation, disinformation, deepfakes, phishing and artificial intelligence-enabled identity theft and impersonation as emerging threats. These developments have direct implications for public trust. A fabricated video, an impersonated official or a deceptive message can mislead citizens, compromise information and disrupt the work of institutions.

Abubakar’s emphasis on cyber hygiene brought the discussion to the responsibilities of individual officials. Mobile phones and other electronic devices often contain sensitive personal and official information. Inadequately secured devices can therefore expose their users and the institutions they serve to security risks. Participants were advised to avoid unsafe public Wi-Fi networks, handle suspicious messages and links cautiously, and strengthen the protection of their devices.

The presentation also drew attention to children’s online safety and the exposure of vulnerable individuals to exploitation, radicalisation and extremist recruitment. Parents and guardians were encouraged to take an active interest in children’s online activities and help protect them from harmful content and contacts.

For federal and state institutions, the practical implication is to make cybersecurity part of routine administration. Staff awareness, responsible information handling and access to technical support should accompany the adoption of digital services. The planned review of the national cybersecurity strategy, including its response to threats associated with artificial intelligence, provides an opportunity to strengthen preparedness. The Permanent Secretary’s encouragement to participants to consult the existing strategy was a reminder that implementation begins with understanding the framework already in place.

Controlling Illicit Arms through Local Cooperation

The presentation by Major General Abubakar Adamu (rtd.) on the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW-ONSA) reinforced the importance of connecting national institutions with communities. He explained that many security challenges originate at the community level and stressed the need to address the proliferation and circulation of illicit weapons.

Adamu outlined the Centre’s activities in weapons recovery and destruction, ammunition recovery, inter-agency cooperation, and support for arrests and prosecution-related processes. He also described collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service and other agencies to prevent the illegal movement of arms.

These efforts extend to prevention within security institutions. Training in safe weapons handling, armoury management and stockpile security is essential to reducing the risk of weapons entering unauthorised circulation. The challenges identified included locally manufactured firearms, illicit movement through border communities and the possible diversion of weapons from official armouries.

The Centre’s presence across the six geopolitical zones provides a basis for stronger engagement with subnational governments. Its proposed collaboration with border communities, traditional rulers, religious leaders and other local stakeholders recognises that effective arms control depends partly on local knowledge and public cooperation.

Improved weapons marking and tracing must therefore be supported by public awareness and sustained engagement. Communication against arms proliferation and insurgency should explain the harm illicit weapons cause, encourage lawful cooperation and give communities confidence in the institutions responsible for responding.

The Permanent Secretary’s encouragement to states to consider providing modest office accommodation for the Centre within their secretariats offered a practical way to improve accessibility and coordination. Such arrangements can help turn a national mandate into a more visible and responsive presence at state level.

Health and Economic Pressures Also Matter

The meeting’s attention to communicable diseases and the effects of rising living costs reflects the connection between human wellbeing and national security. A household struggling to afford transport or access care experiences governance through immediate, practical needs. Effective responses require cooperation among security administrators, health authorities and the institutions responsible for social and economic interventions.

Health communication, for example, should make reliable advice accessible and address public questions with care. Traditional and religious leaders can support engagement where trust is weak, while health professionals provide the evidence and services communities need. Communication succeeds when people can act on the guidance they receive.

Similarly, explanations of measures intended to ease economic hardship should state who can benefit, how assistance can be accessed and where difficulties can be reported. Public confidence depends on delivery and fairness as well as on the clarity of official messages.

From Deliberation to Implementation

The enduring value of the Yola meeting will be determined by follow-through. Participating institutions should translate agreed priorities into assigned responsibilities, realistic timelines and regular reviews. Federal and state platforms should share lessons from implementation and identify obstacles that require decisions at a higher level.

The presentations by ONSA’s centres identified practical opportunities for this cooperation. State institutions can draw on the NCCC’s expertise to strengthen cybersecurity preparedness, while closer engagement with the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons can improve coordination on arms control. Both require sustained public awareness and relationships that reach local communities.

From the perspective of strategic communication, the immediate priority is to deepen the connection between these institutional arrangements and the public. Community engagement should inform implementation, and verified progress should be explained in ways that people can understand and assess.

The third FSSAM meeting of 2026 reaffirmed the importance of a shared approach to Nigeria’s security. We must now carry that approach into the places where people live and work. Its success will be evident in institutions that respond more effectively, communities that can participate with confidence, and improvements in safety that citizens can recognise in their daily lives.

Chido Onumah is special adviser to the National Security Adviser on Strategic Communication and Civil Society Liaison.