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By Nefishetu Yakubu
The National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) has urged Nigeria to strengthen resilience against external shocks through proactive policies.
The Director-General of NILDS, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman made the call at a public dialogue on the Middle East conflict and Nigeria’s security held at NILDS headquarters on Monday in Abuja.
Sulaiman said that beyond international relations, the crisis had direct implications for national security, economic policy, foreign relations, social stability and democratic governance.
“We must move from a reactive approach to crisis management towards a proactive approach to national resilience, ensuring institutional preparedness and economic diversification,” he said
He noted that Nigeria’s membership of OPEC, dependence on oil, religious and cultural connections, and international position made developments in the Middle East particularly relevant.
Sulaiman said disruptions around strategic routes, including the Strait of Hormuz, could raise oil prices, shipping costs, and insurance premiums, affecting economies worldwide
He stressed that although higher crude prices could boost export earnings and government revenue, war could also increase inflation, transportation costs and household hardship.
“We must not examine increases in crude oil prices only from the perspective of government revenue,” he said.
He urged greater domestic refining, natural gas utilisation, renewable energy investment and strategic reserves to reduce Nigeria’s exposure to external energy shocks and strengthen resilience.
The D-G also warned that prolonged international conflicts could provide terrorist and extremist groups opportunities for recruitment, radicalisation and propaganda, adding that it required heightened national vigilance.
He called for stronger intelligence, border, maritime, cyber and food security, alongside peaceful diplomacy, respect for international law and protection of civilian populations.
Sulaiman also urged the National Assembly to strengthen the oversight of security, energy, food security, fiscal management, foreign affairs and social protection policies.
In his goodwill message, Jibril Ndace, Director-General of Voice of Nigeria, who represented the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, said addressing insecurity required all government and whole-of-society approach.
Idris urged Nigerians to support the military and other security agencies, while demanding professionalism and accountability from individuals found responsible for misconduct.
He said the Federal Government had activated diplomatic and consular channels, placed Nigerian missions in affected countries on heightened alert and coordinated inter-agency responses.
He warned that higher energy prices could increase domestic fuel, transportation, fertiliser and food costs, urging timely and accurate communication to counter misinformation.
Also speaking, Prof. Adam Ahmed, Provost of the Centre for Strategic Research and Studies, National Defence College, said the Middle East remained vital to global stability.
Ahmed said the region’s religious significance, oil resources and strategic waterways made it a centre of geopolitical competition.
He said instability could disrupt global energy supplies, with higher oil prices increasing government revenue but also raising petrol prices and transportation costs for Nigerians.
He warned that the crisis could influence Nigeria’s forthcoming elections, as government decisions on fuel prices and living costs carried economic and sociopolitical consequences.
In his paper presentation, Dr Mohammed Shuaibu of the University of Abuja said the conflict represented an energy price and security shock as well as geopolitical test for Nigeria.
He said higher oil prices could raise government earnings while worsening household conditions through increased fuel, food, fertiliser and other production costs.
Shaibu identified trade, investment and finance as major transmission channels, warning that geopolitical uncertainty could weaken investor confidence, foreign investment and economic growth.
He recommended energy diversification, stronger domestic refining, fiscal buffers, targeted social protection, food production support and improved communication of economic reforms to citizens.
Similarly, retired Maj.- Gen. Mathias Efeovbokhan, Chief Executive Officer of the Pan-African Foundation for Peace and Security, warned that Middle East instability could spread through the Sahel.
He said the Sahelian region could transmit extremist ideologies, illicit weapons and transnational criminal activities towards Nigeria in spite of the geographical distance from the conflict.
Efeovbokhan identified poverty, unemployment, corruption, governance failures and weak community engagement as domestic vulnerabilities that could amplify external security threats.
He called for improved intelligence coordination, border cooperation, military capacity, community engagement, accountability and domestic technological development to strengthen Nigeria’s security response.
In the same vein, Prof. Warisu Alli, a retired political science professor at the University of Jos, traced the conflict to unresolved historical and political issues.
He said poverty, unemployment, exclusion and ineffective governance made Nigeria vulnerable, arguing that domestic socio-economic weaknesses could deepen insecurity more than external influences.
Alli criticised Nigeria’s continued dependence on imported petroleum products in spite of its oil resources, saying that mismanagement had prevented the country from building an efficient industry.
He urged the government to improve accountability, education, employment, petroleum-sector management and social protection, stressing that security required communities whose rights and dignity were protected.
Present at the event were security agencies, representatives of the National Haji commission, Chief Imam of the Abuja National Mosque, religious leaders, traditional rulers and civil society organisations among others.(NAN)
NY/DCO
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Edited by Deborah Coker
English (US) ·