The Nigerian Army is deepening security partnerships with universities in the Northeast to secure campuses, bolster community resilience and counter extremist narratives that drive terrorist recruitment.
The burgeoning collaboration was further cemented on Monday when university leaders from across the region visited Headquarters Joint Task Force Northeast, Operation HADIN KAI, to discuss campus security, intelligence sharing and steps for protecting students, staff and academic communities.
The delegation led by the former Vice-Chancellor of Ahman Pategi University, Professor Ali Audu Sani, comprised Vice-Chancellor of Al-Ansar University, Professor Fanna Inna Abdulrahman and Vice-Chancellor of Borno State University, Professor Babagana Gutti.
The university authorities accepted security assessments conducted by Operation HADIN KAI which identified vulnerabilities and recommended measures covering perimeter protection, surveillance, communication and emergency preparedness.
Some of the recommendations, including beefed-up perimeter security, installation of surveillance cameras and upgrades to communication systems, have since been put in place.
The development signals a move to a coordinated security model, where academic institutions are involved in early warning, information sharing and preparedness, rather than treating university security as an isolated campus-management responsibility.
Educational institutions are critical national assets and their protection goes beyond physical security, the Theater Commander, Operation HADIN KAI, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar.
He said that security and education are closely linked in that the development of human capital and resilience in the community are important for the attainment of lasting stability in the Northeast.
This leads universities into the broad non-kinetic component of counter-terrorism. Academic institutions can contribute to reducing vulnerabilities to radicalization, misinformation and extremist propaganda, and to securing campuses against direct threats.
Major General Abubakar said that educated young people are less likely to be recruited for terrorist activities, and that universities have a responsibility to promote patriotism, responsible citizenship and resistance to extremist narratives.
The approach also reflects the increasingly integrated nature of the Operation HADIN KAI security strategy, which blends military operations with intelligence-led protection, institutional engagement and measures aimed at reducing the conditions that allow extremist networks to attract and influence vulnerable populations.
Consequently, the Theater Commander called on the university authorities to sustain implementation of the security recommendations, strengthen internal vigilance and maintain effective communication with the security agencies to facilitate early warning and rapid responses to emerging threats.
For their part, the university leaders pledged to continue cooperating with security agencies and to share information with them in a timely manner, while praising the troops for their sacrifices and the improving security environment, which they said had boosted confidence and created better conditions for academic activities.