A public affairs analyst, Maurice Ayobami, has defended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's appointment of Major General Adeyinka Famadewa (retd.) as Special Adviser on Homeland Security. Ayobami described the move as a strategic response to Nigeria's changing security challenges. He said the creation of the adviser role reflects adaptive governance, not institutional failure. The appointment drew mixed reactions, with some supporting it and others criticising it.
Professor Femi Otubanjo of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs opposed the appointment. Ayobami countered by stating that modern threats are decentralised, asymmetric and technologically advanced. He argued that governments worldwide regularly restructure to meet emerging security demands. "To interpret the appointment of a Special Adviser on Homeland Security as an admission of failure is to fundamentally misunderstand the nature of contemporary security management," Ayobami said.
He added that serious administrations review structures, spot gaps and create mechanisms for better coordination, intelligence integration and rapid response. The new office, he explained, is meant to improve inter-agency collaboration and strategic policy coherence. It does not replace military command or override existing security agencies.
Ayobami dismissed claims that the appointment signals a power struggle within the security architecture. "The Special Adviser on Homeland Security is not being appointed to command military formations or override existing agencies," he said. The role is strictly strategic and advisory, focused on intelligence coordination, homeland risk assessment and institutional synergy.
Ayobami defends a new security role while insisting it holds no command power, raising questions about its real impact. If the adviser cannot direct operations or change agency mandates, the structure may only add another layer of consultation. Nigerians named in the debate, including Famadewa and Otubanjo, are left to justify a position that alters no statutory authority. This makes the appointment symbolic unless coordination gaps were previously due to lack of advice.
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