Tinubu appoints Major General Fadewa as Nigeria’s first homeland security adviser
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Major General Adeyinka Fadewa (retd) as special adviser on homeland security, creating the role for the first time at the federal level in Nigeria.
The appointment was announced on Monday in a statement issued by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation through a circular signed by the SGF, George Akume, and released 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”.
Although some state governments have at different times created similar positions at the sub national level, no previous Nigerian president had established a dedicated homeland security advisory role within the presidency.
The creation of the office represents a significant shift in Nigeria’s traditional security structure, which has largely concentrated advisory responsibilities within the Office of the National Security Adviser.
Fadewa brings more than three decades of military and intelligence experience to the newly created role, with expertise spanning national security strategy, intelligence coordination, counter terrorism operations and international security diplomacy.
One of his most notable assignments was serving as Principal General Staff Officer to the National Security Adviser at the Office of the National Security Adviser between 2015 and 2021. During that period, he led the establishment of the Intelligence Fusion Centre, an integrated multi agency intelligence platform involving the Defence Intelligence Agency, National Intelligence Agency, Department of State Services, the Nigeria Police Force and the Armed Forces.
The platform was designed to strengthen national threat assessment and improve strategic response coordination among security agencies.
Following his retirement from active service, Fadewa became a senior research fellow at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre in Abuja, where he continued contributing to policy discussions on policing, civil security cooperation and national security reform.
He is also the author of the monograph Policing and National Security in Nigeria, which has been widely referenced for its practical recommendations on civil security collaboration.
Tinubu expressed confidence that the appointment would enhance coordination of homeland security initiatives, intelligence integration and proactive risk management. He also urged Fadewa to deploy his experience in advancing the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.