The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd), has identified sustainable national security, good governance and credible institutions as critical requirements for Nigeria to achieve its trillion-dollar economy ambition.
Leah Katung-Babatunde, General Musa’s Special Assistant (Media) disclosed this in a Statement on Wednesday, October 21, 2026.
Musa, according to the Statement, stated this while delivering a keynote address titled “National Security: Pathway to a Trillion-Dollar Economy” at the 56th Annual Accountants’ Conference of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja.
The minister said national security should be viewed beyond military operations and law enforcement, describing it as a key economic driver that protects human capital, safeguards critical infrastructure and creates an enabling environment for investment.
“No investor commits capital where lives and assets are not safe, and no economy grows beyond the reach of its security,” he said.
Acknowledging the country’s security challenges, including attacks on communities, highway kidnappings and isolated insurgent activities, Musa said ongoing operations by the Armed Forces of Nigeria were making progress towards restoring stability across economic corridors, agricultural belts and industrial zones.
He explained that a secure environment was essential to boosting economic activities, attracting long-term investments and supporting the Federal Government’s ambition of building a trillion-dollar economy under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The minister outlined key strategic priorities for leveraging national security to drive economic growth, including the protection of strategic economic assets, promotion of good governance and human capital development, financial discipline in the defence sector, cybersecurity and financial intelligence, as well as the development of domestic defence industrial capacity.
Musa said protecting critical infrastructure and economic assets would help sustain productivity, while investments in human capital and institutional reforms would strengthen national resilience and support long-term economic expansion.
In a move to deepen institutional collaboration, the minister announced the establishment of a joint Ministry of Defence–ICAN Implementation Committee to develop frameworks for implementing proposals put forward by ICAN President, Queensley Seghosime.
According to him, the partnership will focus on specialised training in public financial management and accounting standards for Armed Forces personnel, alongside joint training programmes in forensic accounting and financial intelligence to combat terrorism financing.
The collaboration will also explore improved corporate governance and welfare schemes for military veterans.
The minister commended ICAN for its commitment to fiscal discipline and transparency, stressing the importance of professional financial management in strengthening public institutions and ensuring accountability in the use of public resources.
He maintained that combining effective security measures with sound financial management would provide a solid foundation for sustainable economic growth and Nigeria’s long-term prosperity.
