The Hope Alive Initiative (HAI), a prominent pro-good-governance advocacy group, has given President Bola Ahmed Tinubu a strong vote of confidence, praising what it describes as his “decisive, hands-on, and unflinching” leadership amid one of Nigeria’s most turbulent security moments in recent years.
In a statement signed by its Director of Media and Communications, Ernest Omoarelojie, HAI said the President has shown “clarity, decisiveness, and capacity at a time the nation needed them most,” noting that his actions over the past two weeks reflect a leader unwilling to watch crises unfold from afar.
According to the group, Tinubu’s swift coordination of security responses across multiple hotspots—including Kebbi, Kwara, Niger, and Taraba—has begun to shift public confidence. The group cited the successful rescue of all 24 abducted girls in Kebbi, the release of over 30 kidnapped worshippers in Kwara, the recovery of 50 children kidnapped in Niger State, and the arrest of a notorious terror kingpin in Taraba as proof of a new operational tempo.
“These outcomes are not coincidental,” HAI said. “They reflect leadership that chose to step forward, not step aside.”
For HAI, the turning point was the President’s abrupt cancellation of his foreign trips to South Africa and Angola for the G7 and African Union meetings—an action the group called “the clearest signal yet that national security now sits at the very top of the President’s priorities.”
“By refusing to leave the country during an unfolding crisis, the President reassured Nigerians that their safety is personal to him,” the group noted.
Under Tinubu’s directive, the presidency has now established a Central Coordination Situation Room—an operational hub linking the intelligence community, the armed forces, the police, and diplomatic channels directly to the President. HAI said the move has streamlined decision-making, improved joint operations, and enabled rapid deployments to critical zones.
The President also commanded the Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Mohammed Matawalle, to relocate to active conflict areas—an unprecedented step the group described as “leadership that positions itself where the stakes are highest.”
HAI noted that the administration has taken bold measures to expand security manpower and sharpen frontline response capacity. These include the recruitment of 50,000 police officers, the redeployment of soldiers from ceremonial duties to active field operations, and the withdrawal of police officers from VIP escort duties to support community policing.
“These are fundamental shifts,” the group said, “marking the beginning of a more aggressive and intelligence-driven approach to national security.”
The group also applauded the administration’s diplomatic engagements, including the National Security Adviser’s consultations in Washington on intelligence-sharing, and the Foreign Affairs Minister’s recent engagement with Niger Republic to strengthen cross-border and Sahel-wide security cooperation.
HAI further pointed to progress in justice and accountability systems. Between 2022 and 2024, the Nigeria Police Force prosecuted 29,052 violent-crime cases and secured 16,200 convictions, while the National Human Rights Commission conducted 18 investigations and secured five prosecutions linked to religiously motivated attacks.
“These steps show that the fight against insecurity is not just on the battlefield but also in the courtroom,” the group said.
HAI also commended government partnerships with the UNHCR, the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, and other humanitarian stakeholders working to mitigate poverty, displacement, and identity-based grievances—known triggers for extremist recruitment.
“These are unquestionably difficult times,” the group concluded, “but Nigeria is fortunate to have a leader in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu—resolute, courageous, and committed to confronting the challenges head-on. With sustained political will, the gains being recorded today will translate into long-term security and renewed national confidence.”