Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the appointment of retired Major General Adeyinka A. Fadewa as Special Adviser on Homeland Security, creating the role for the first time at the federal level in Nigeria’s history. The appointment was announced on Monday, May 11, 2026, in a circular signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, and issued by the Permanent Secretary of the General Services Office, Dr. Ibrahim Abubakar Kana.
The new role is designed to strengthen internal security coordination, enhance intelligence‑driven operations, and deepen inter‑agency collaboration in response to emerging threats across the country. While some state governments have previously established comparable positions, no Nigerian president has ever created a dedicated homeland security advisory office at the federal level. The move marks a departure from Nigeria’s traditional security architecture, where advisory functions have historically been concentrated within the Office of the National Security Adviser.
Major General Fadewa brings more than three decades of military and intelligence experience to this pioneer position. His career spans national security strategy, intelligence fusion, counter‑terrorism operations, and international security diplomacy. Between 2015 and 2021, he served as Principal General Staff Officer to the National Security Adviser at the Office of the National Security Adviser, where he played a pivotal role in shaping Nigeria’s modern intelligence coordination framework. He spearheaded the establishment of the Intelligence Fusion Centre, an integrated multi‑agency intelligence platform that brought together the Defence Intelligence Agency, the National Intelligence Agency, the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Armed Forces to improve national threat assessment and strategic response coordination.
Following his retirement from active military service, Fadewa served as a Senior Research Fellow at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre in Abuja. He continued to provide strategic thought leadership on policing, civil‑security cooperation, and national security reform. He is also the author of the monograph “Policing and National Security in Nigeria,” which offers practical frameworks for strengthening collaboration between civil institutions and security agencies.
President Tinubu expressed confidence that the appointment of Major General Fadewa will further enhance the administration’s efforts toward achieving a safer and more secure Nigeria through improved coordination of homeland security initiatives, intelligence integration, and proactive risk management. The president urged the new adviser to deploy his wealth of experience, professionalism, and strategic insight in advancing national security objectives and supporting the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The creation of the homeland security advisory role follows a recent high‑level meeting on May 9, 2026, where National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu met with top United States officials to deepen bilateral cooperation on counter‑terrorism and regional stability. The establishment of the new office is seen as part of a broader strategy to streamline Nigeria’s handling of domestic security challenges and international security partnerships.
In recent years, Nigeria has witnessed a spike in banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, and other violent crimes across the country, prompting renewed calls for improved security coordination and intelligence sharing. Civil society groups have expressed cautious optimism about the new role, while also urging the government to ensure that the position does not create bureaucratic overlaps with the existing National Security Adviser’s office. Some security analysts have warned that without a clearly defined mandate and operational boundaries, the new role could lead to jurisdictional conflicts. Others, however, point to Fadewa’s track record in intelligence fusion as evidence that the appointment could genuinely improve inter‑agency coordination and threat response.
The office of the Special Adviser on Homeland Security is expected to focus on domestic stability and intelligence integration, distinct from the broader mandate of the National Security Adviser. As of the time of this report, no further details have been released regarding the size or structure of the new office, nor the budgetary implications of the appointment.
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