NISS Delegation Commends Federal University Lokoja, Pledges Security Support Following Strategic Visit

The National Institute for Security Studies, NISS, Abuja, has assured Federal University Lokoja of strong consideration in its forthcoming national security recommendations following a high-level visit by participants of the Executive Intelligence Management Course 19.

The delegation visited the university on April 30, 2026, as part of a nationwide study on ethnic dynamics, militia activities, and resource competition in Nigeria. 

The visiting team comprised 12 participants drawn from a class of 74, with other syndicates simultaneously carrying out engagements in Bayelsa, Enugu, Kaduna, and Taraba states.

Speaking during the visit, the team leader, R. A. Bolarinwa, FSI, commended the university management for its cooperation and described the engagement as critical to national policy formulation.

“Our study focuses on ethnic militia and resource competition because these issues increasingly threaten national stability, particularly in diverse societies with unequal access to resources,” he said.

Bolarinwa noted that Kogi State remains a key area of interest due to its strategic location and demographic composition. “Kogi State sits at a convergence point between the North and the South. It is multi ethnic and resource-rich, and these factors naturally create pressures around land use, migration, and access to resources,” he added.

He further explained that such conditions often lead to the emergence of non-state actors. “These groups arise from perceived marginalisation, governance gaps, and the desire to control resources. When unmanaged, they undermine state authority and increase instability,” he said.

Bolarinwa stressed that institutions such as Federal University Lokoja must be integrated into broader security planning. “Universities are not isolated spaces. They are part of the national ecosystem and must be factored into our security architecture,” he stated.

Welcoming the delegation, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Gbenga Solomon Ibileye, expressed appreciation for the visit and highlighted the institution’s rapid growth.

“Our university started in 2011 with just 235 students and two faculties. Today, we have grown to about 30,000 students, 17 faculties, and several academic centres. This growth has been steady and deliberate,” he said.

He reaffirmed the university’s regulatory compliance. “We do not run any programme that is not accredited. All our programmes meet the standards of the National Universities Commission (NUC) and relevant professional bodies,” he said, referencing the role of the NUC.

On global engagement, the Vice-Chancellor added, “We partner with institutions across Canada, the United States, South Africa, the United Kingdom, China, and Australia. Our transnational programmes allow students to earn dual qualifications, both locally and internationally.”

Addressing security concerns, Professor Ibileye drew attention to the institution’s environment. “If you go behind our permanent site at Felele, you will see a vast forest that stretches toward neighbouring states. That terrain presents real security challenges,” he said.

He added that the university continues to work closely with security agencies. “We believe in proactive intelligence. We engage security agencies consistently because prevention remains the best approach,” he noted.