Nigeria’s Quiet Rebirth: A Story of Resilience and Determined Strategy

In a world where chaos and turmoil often dominate the headlines, there are stories that unfold quietly, without fanfare or spectacle. These stories whisper from war rooms, farmlands, and police outposts, where peace has begun to settle in places that once knew only strife. One such story is that of Nigeria, a country that has begun to reclaim itself from the grip of chaos through quiet resolve and determined strategy.

Before May 29, 2023, Nigeria was a federation of fragilities, with the Boko Haram menace in the Northeast, bandit warlords in the Northwest, and separatist violence in the Southeast. The country had inherited chaos and normalized it, with over 35,000 people perishing in the decade-long insurgency in Borno and pipelines in the Niger Delta suffering more attacks than some military formations.

However, with the arrival of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a change began to take shape. The President brought with him a clarity of purpose, and in his shadow emerged a key figure – Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser. Ribadu’s name now evokes a different kind of fear, one that is felt among criminals who know that Nigeria is no longer sleeping.

In the past two years, the story of Nigeria’s transformation has been one of progress, not just pain. Over 13,500 terrorists and armed criminals have been neutralized, and more than 17,000 arrests have been made. Over 11,200 hostages have been freed, and over 124,000 insurgents and their families have surrendered, handing over more than 11,000 weapons. These numbers are not just statistics; they represent milestones in human relief, the sighs of parents who once despaired of seeing their children return from school or from bandits’ camps.

The Northwest, particularly Zamfara and Kaduna, has seen significant progress, with 11,250 hostages freed and some of the most dreaded warlords no longer perpetrating their reign of terror. The government has deployed a comprehensive system of non-kinetic approach using dialogue and community engagement, dubbed the Kaduna Model, which has led to 35 repentant bandit leaders laying down their arms.

In the Northeast, Borno is witnessing a thoughtful rebirth, with over 13,543 insurgents neutralized and over 102,000 surrendered. Villages once erased from maps are reappearing in census reports, and resettlement has moved from policy to practice. The air hums again with the sound of trade.

The Niger Delta, once a corridor of corruption and criminal oil syndicates, has witnessed a quiet economic resurgence. Crude oil production has climbed to an average of 1.8 million barrels per day, and Operation Delta Safe has dismantled thousands of illegal refineries, dugout pits, and cooking ovens used to process stolen crude.

In the Southeast, the tide is turning, with IPOB’s once-feared sit-at-home orders losing their grip. Fifty police stations have reopened, and separatist strongholds are collapsing. The streets of Enugu, Owerri, and Abakaliki hum again with trade, traffic, and talk.

Cyberspace security has also become a crucial front, with Ribadu’s war room fighting battles in the cloud. The Binance case exposed billions in crypto-linked economic sabotage, and dozens of suspicious accounts tied to terrorism and separatism have been frozen.

While total victory has not been declared, Nigeria is no longer merely reacting to threats. It is anticipating and preparing, guided by eight pillars of national security approach: intelligence, inter-agency coordination, frontline operations, equipping, aerial upgrades, cyber defense, capacity building, and international collaboration. These are not just bullet points on paper; they represent the reason why Nigeria can now speak of progress, not just pain.

Two years on, the flame of hope lit by President Tinubu burns brighter, guarded by Ribadu and shielding it from the winds of cynicism and sabotage. Nigeria is still marked by its wounds, but it is no longer defined by them. The country walks with purpose where it once stumbled in panic, and while the battles are not all won, Nigeria is no longer on its knees. It is on its feet, and its story is one of resilience and determined strategy.