By Achile Danjuma
Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Policy Communication, has said insecurity in Nigeria is not worsening.
Nigeria has in recent times witnessed renewed terrorist activities, including the abduction of school children in Niger, Kebbi States, attacks on mosques and churches, and other violent incidents that have affected communities across the country.
On Wednesday, suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists abducted more than 100 women and children in an attack on Ngoshe community in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.
The terrorists also killed the chief imam of the town, some community elders and soldiers during the assault which occurred shortly after Muslims broke their fast on the ill-fated day.
Speaking on Al-Jazeera’s Head to Head with Mehdi Hassan at Conway Hall in London, Bwala said the Nigerian government was doing its best to contain the situation.
He noted that for the first two years of the President’s administration, Nigeria experienced substantial peace.
“I acknowledge the fact that we have insecurity in Nigeria, and until the hoax narrative of the ‘Christians genocide,’ we began to see back-to-back attacks in the country. For the first two years of the present administration, we experienced substantial peace in Nigeria.
“There is no country in the world today that is completely free from insecurity. There are parts of London where you cannot go in the evening.”
On renewed terrorist attacks in some parts of the country, Bwala stated that Nigeria was cooperating with different countries to stem the tide of insecurity affecting it.
“That is one of the reasons the President travelled to Turkey, where we reached a bilateral agreement to deal with insecurity. That is also why we are cooperating with the United States of America and other countries of the world. The reason is that, since 9/11, terrorism has been a global phenomenon, and every country is involved in it.
“I can’t say it is getting worse. As a government, we are working day and night to deal with the situation.
“I don’t agree to the fact that it (insecurity) is getting worse.” he insisted.
Bwala accused Western media of portraying Nigeria and Africa negatively. Using a glass of water to illustrate his point, the presidential aide said while the western media would see it as half empty, Nigerians would view it as half full.
“Before the President took office, we knew the situation in Nigeria. When he decided to take bold steps to place the country on a better trajectory, we were well aware of the fact that it was going to incense lots of people.”
He highlighted government efforts to confront terrorism, including, according to him, the arrest of Boko Haram and Lakurawa leaders six months before the US President Donald Trump’s statement on insecurity and redesignation of Nigeria as a country of particular concern.
“Six months before that, we arrested leaders of Boko Haram and Lakurawa, and prior to that, we eliminated a number of terrorists. The US State Department commended Nigeria for that. The US Embassy recognised these efforts even before Trump’s statement.
“We declared national emergency on insecurity six months before Donald Trump’s statement. That was around April or May 2025.”
Answering questions around rising spate of kidnappings in the country, Bwala, however, admitted that the situation has become a crime economy.
“I acknowledge that insecurity related to kidnappings has become a crisis economy, but much more than that, I know of our government’s efforts in dealing with that insecurity.
“If one understands Nigeria’s geography and the nature of insecurity, one will understand that we are confronting a complex, hydra-headed problem.
“Regarding the kidnapping of children, the government has implemented the Safe Schools Initiative, relocating students from remote, insecure areas to state capitals so they can access the education they need safely.” he added.