A Thought Exercise on Diplomatic Defence and Economic Resilience
Nigeria stands today at a critical intersection of insecurity, economic distress, and heightened international scrutiny. The recent remarks by former United States President, Donald Trump, alleging “Christian genocide” in Nigeria and hinting at possible military intervention, have sparked widespread national and global reactions.
As Nigerians, we must respond with clarity, truth, historical perspective, and unwavering commitment to our unity and sovereignty.
Nigeria is a multi-religious nation built on the coexistence of Muslims, Christians, and people of other beliefs. Our Constitution guarantees this pluralism, and the vast majority of Nigerians—regardless of faith—desire only peace, dignity, and justice.
As a Muslim, I am guided by the example of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), who coexisted and cooperated with Jews and Christians under the Charter of Madinah, based on mutual respect and responsibility. Our faith and history reject all forms of religious hatred.
The wave of violent extremism that evolved into Boko Haram began in the late 2000s. After the extra-judicial killing of the group’s founder, Muhammadu Yusuf, in 2009, the insurgency escalated into full-scale terror—targeting Muslims and Christians alike. Villages were razed, mosques and churches bombed, and millions displaced. It was not, and has never been, a war between religions; it was a war against all Nigerians.
Under successive governments, varying strategies produced mixed results. During the Buhari administration, initial gains were made against Boko Haram, but new threats—banditry, kidnapping, and rural terrorism—emerged. Despite the defence budget rising from ₦1.06 trillion in 2020 to over ₦3.25 trillion in 2024, insecurity persisted amid widespread allegations of corruption and institutional decay.
When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed office in 2023, he inherited a deeply entrenched crisis. Though his government has taken steps, public confidence remains fragile. Communities still negotiate with criminals, while citizens often feel abandoned. With international attention now intensifying, Nigeria must respond not defensively, but with wisdom, realism, and unity.
Nigeria’s insecurity did not begin today. Its roots stretch across decades of economic decline, institutional decay, illegal arms proliferation, demographic pressure, climate stress, and unresolved national wounds.
With inflation above 18%, food inflation at 23%, and widespread unemployment, millions of youths are left vulnerable to recruitment by criminal and extremist groups. From Boko Haram in the Northeast to banditry in the Northwest, farmer-herder clashes in the Middle Belt, and separatist agitations in the Southeast, ordinary Nigerians have borne the heaviest cost. Over 3.5 million citizens remain internally displaced, a stark reminder of our shared suffering.
Both Muslims and Christians have been victims—mosques bombed, churches burned, imams and pastors killed, and children abducted in Chibok, Dapchi, Kankara, Kuriga, and Kagara. The tears of Muslim and Christian mothers are the same. This is not a war of religion; it is a war against humanity.
There are those who exploit our pain for political advantage, weaponising grief to divide us. They are dangerous. Nigeria’s peace will not emerge from taking sides between Christians and Muslims—it will come from choosing the side of justice.
Our real enemies are injustice, bad governance, corruption, and the criminal networks that thrive on poverty and fear. To rebuild peace, we must restore trust between the government and the governed, and heal our institutions.
If I were President Tinubu, I would respond to Mr. Trump respectfully but firmly.
Nigeria rejects all forms of violence, whether against Christians, Muslims, or any other group. Our security challenges are real, but they are not religious in nature—they are fundamentally economic, criminal, and political.
We welcome support and dialogue, not coercion. We welcome partnership, not threats. We welcome cooperation, not foreign boots on our soil. Our sovereignty must remain intact, and our religious diversity must be respected.
The world has seen the outcomes of foreign military interventions: Iraq is not safer. Libya is not stable. Syria is not healed. Afghanistan is not at peace. True peace cannot be imported; it must be built from within.
Enough of rising budgets while communities fall. Enough of condolence visits without accountability. Security sector reform is not optional—it is existential.
Nigeria’s armed forces have some of Africa’s most capable officers, and the recent appointment of new Service Chiefs is commendable. Yet strategic leadership, intelligence coordination, and civilian oversight must be strengthened.
Retired senior officers of proven integrity should be appointed into key advisory and ministerial roles to provide experienced direction in modern asymmetric warfare. We must also rebuild national intelligence capacity, restore community-based policing, and end the culture of self-defence militias.
Security must return to being a public good, not a private negotiation.
Silence in times of moral crisis is complicity. Nigeria needs clerics who heal rather than inflame, who use their pulpits to unite, not divide.
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) built interfaith coexistence through the Charter of Madinah. Jesus Christ (PBUH) taught that compassion is strength, not weakness. Their examples call for unity, not rivalry.
Imams and pastors must appear together in public acts of peace—jointly condemning violence, consoling victims, and demonstrating that the blood of every Nigerian is sacred.
Nigeria welcomes genuine concern but rejects simplified narratives. We need partners in healing, not spectators to our suffering.
As President, I would propose a structured framework for engagement:
a) Security cooperation based on real-time intelligence-sharing that respects sovereignty.
b) Economic support for rural revitalisation, youth employment, and education.
c) Psychosocial recovery for victims of violence.
d) A global interfaith platform to counter hate with a theology of peace.
Peace must be built with Nigerians, by Nigerians, not imposed from abroad.
Nigeria’s diplomatic presence has waned in key global capitals—Washington, London, Brussels, Moscow, Beijing, and even at the United Nations. This vacuum has allowed false narratives to thrive.
Ambassadors are not ceremonial figures; they are the eyes, ears, and voice of Nigeria abroad. Urgent appointments of credible and strategic diplomats are essential to defend Nigeria’s image and interests globally.
If I were President Tinubu, I would immediately launch a National Renewal Agenda to restore trust, unity, and stability through five decisive actions:
These pillars form a cycle: security enables productivity, accountability builds trust, and interfaith harmony ensures sustainable peace.
The world is watching. History is listening. God is witness.
If we fail this test, we risk our future. But if we choose unity over division, justice over vengeance, and dignity over fear, this painful moment could become the dawn of Nigeria’s rebirth.
Nigeria is not a land of Christians against Muslims; it is a land of Nigerians—sharing one sky, one soil, and one destiny.
May God guide our leaders.
May Nigeria rise in peace.
May Nigeria rise united.
Engr. Mohammed Nur Khalil
A seasoned engineering professional with over four decades of experience, Engr. Khalil has held several leadership positions including Projects Engineer, Projects Director, and Principal Consultant. A registered engineer with COREN and member of ACEN, he is also a philanthropist and public affairs analyst committed to nation-building.
He writes from Katsina. @mnk1962
