President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday, May 11, 2026, announced the creation of a Homeland Security advisory role.
This marks the first time the Homeland Security advisory role would be created at the federal level in Nigeria’s history.
To fill the role, Tinubu has appointed Major General Adeyinka Fadewa (retd) as special adviser on homeland security.
The appointment was announced on Monday in a statement from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), conveyed through a circular signed by SGF Sen George Akume and issued by the Permanent Secretary of the General Services Office, Dr Ibrahim Abubakar Kana.
According to the statement, the appointment “underscores the commitment of the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu to strengthening internal security coordination, enhancing intelligence-driven operations, and deepening inter-agency collaboration in addressing emerging security threats across the country”.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that while some states had once in a while created comparable positions at the sub-national level, no previous Nigerian president had established a dedicated homeland security advisory role in the presidency.
The creation of the office marks a departure from Nigeria’s traditional security architecture, which has historically concentrated advisory functions within the National Security Adviser’s NSA office.
Fadewa brings over three decades of military and intelligence experience to the pioneer role, with a career spanning national security strategy, intelligence fusion, counter-terrorism operations, and international security diplomacy.
His most consequential assignment was as Principal General Staff Officer to the National Security Adviser at the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) between 2015 and 2021, where he drove the establishment of the Intelligence Fusion Centre — an integrated multi-agency intelligence platform that brought together the Defence Intelligence Agency, National Intelligence Agency, Department of State Services, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Armed Forces to sharpen national threat assessment and improve strategic response coordination.
Following his retirement from active service, Fadewa took up a position as senior research fellow at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre in Abuja, where he continued to contribute to policy thinking on policing, civil-security cooperation, and national security reform.
Tinubu expressed confidence that the new appointment would deepen “coordination of homeland security initiatives, intelligence integration, and proactive risk management” and urged Fadewa to deploy his wealth of experience in advancing the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The statement reads: “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has approved the appointment of Major General Adeyinka A. Fadewa (Rtd) as Special Adviser on Homeland Security, in recognition of his exceptional record of service, strategic expertise, and outstanding contributions to Nigeria’s national security architecture.
“In a circular signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume, CON, which was issued by the Permanent Secretary General Services Office, Dr. Ibrahim Abubakar Kana, mni, the appointment underscores the commitment of the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu to strengthening internal security coordination, enhancing intelligence-driven operations, and deepening inter-agency collaboration in addressing emerging security threats across the country.
“Major General Fadewa (Rtd) is a highly decorated retired General with over three decades of distinguished military and intelligence service spanning national security strategy, intelligence fusion, counter-terrorism operations, and international security diplomacy. His career reflects a rare blend of operational excellence, strategic foresight, and institutional leadership in safeguarding Nigeria’s territorial integrity and national interests.
“As Principal General Staff Officer to the National Security Adviser at the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) from 2015 to 2021, he played a pivotal role in shaping Nigeria’s modern intelligence coordination framework. He spearheaded the establishment of the Intelligence Fusion Centre (IFC) at ONSA, creating an integrated multi-agency intelligence platform that brought together the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force, and the Armed Forces to improve national threat assessment and strategic response coordination.
“Following his retirement from active military service, Major General Fadewa (Rtd) served as Senior Research Fellow at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Abuja, where he continued to provide strategic thought leadership on policing, civil-security cooperation, and national security reform. His scholarly contributions include the widely acclaimed monograph titled “Policing and National Security in Nigeria,” which offers practical frameworks for strengthening civil-security collaboration.
“President Tinubu expressed confidence that the appointment of Major General Fadewa (Rtd) will further enhance the administration’s efforts toward achieving a safer and more secure Nigeria through improved coordination of homeland security initiatives, intelligence integration, and proactive risk management.
“He also urged him to deploy his wealth of experience, professionalism, and strategic insight in advancing national security objectives and supporting the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.”
The development comes as the administration of Tinubu continues to grapple with security challenges including international pressures.
Last year, U.S President Donald Trump designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over Christian genocide in the country.
Since then Tinubu has been implementing policies and collaborating with the U.S to tackle insecurity in Nigeria.
