Odita Sunday 
By Odita Sunday
The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (retd.), OFR, has identified sustainable national security, good governance and credible institutions as critical foundations for Nigeria’s ambition to build a $1 trillion economy.
Musa 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.
Addressing accountants, policymakers and business leaders, the minister said national security should be viewed beyond military operations and law enforcement, stressing its importance in protecting human capital, safeguarding critical infrastructure and creating an environment conducive to long-term investment.
“No investor commits capital where lives and assets are not safe, and no economy grows beyond the reach of its security,” Musa said.
He acknowledged Nigeria’s security challenges, including attacks on communities, highway kidnappings and isolated insurgent activities, but maintained that ongoing operations by the Armed Forces of Nigeria were contributing to efforts to restore stability across economic corridors, agricultural belts and industrial zones.
Aligning the ministry’s priorities with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the defence minister outlined key areas through which improved security could support economic growth.
These include protecting strategic economic assets, promoting good governance and human capital development, strengthening financial discipline in the defence sector, improving cybersecurity and financial intelligence, and expanding domestic defence industrial capacity.
Musa stressed that safeguarding economic infrastructure and improving security across productive areas were essential to sustaining business activities, attracting investment and supporting national development.
In a move to strengthen institutional cooperation, the minister announced the establishment of a joint Ministry of Defence–ICAN Implementation Committee to develop collaborative frameworks proposed by ICAN President, Hajia Queensley Seghosime, mni, FCA.
The proposed partnership will focus on specialised training in public financial management and accounting standards for Armed Forces personnel, joint programmes in forensic accounting and financial intelligence to combat terrorism financing, and improved corporate governance and welfare schemes for veterans.
The initiative is expected to strengthen financial accountability within the defence sector while building professional capacity to address financial crimes that could undermine national security.
The minister commended ICAN for its commitment to fiscal discipline and transparency, noting that effective financial management was essential to the efficient use of public resources.
He concluded that combining a secure environment with professional financial management would provide a stronger foundation for Nigeria’s long-term economic prosperity.
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