Christopher Musa: Foreigners won’t save Nigeria — we have to fix insecurity ourselves

Christopher Musa, former chief of defence staff (CDS), says foreigners would not solve Nigeria’s insecurity conundrum. 

Musa spoke on Sunday at the cultural night and unity ball organised by the Unity Schools Old Students’ Association (USOSANS) in Abuja.

The event celebrated Nigeria’s cultural diversity and reinforced the ideals of national unity.

Musa said the colourful display of cultures at the event demonstrated the possibility of cohesion among Nigerians.

“What we’re seeing today is how Nigeria is united, all together, one for all and all for one,” he said.

“Despite our different cultures, traditions, religions, we’re all here together, working together, and that’s what Nigeria should be.”

He appealed to citizens to reject division and recommit to nationhood.

“We must learn to live together, we must learn to love one another, we must learn to love our country. Nobody else will do it for us,” he said.

Asked about his thoughts on US President Donald Trump’s threat of military action in Nigeria, Musa said “nobody will save our country other than ourselves. We must do it ourselves, and we can do it”.

Earlier, Michael Magaji, the president-general of USOSA, said the association carries a historic mandate to defend Nigeria’s unity and promote coexistence.

“USOSA has a moral responsibility to promote unity in diversity, to promote peace and tolerance in this country,” Magaji said.

He traced the origins of unity schools to post-independence nation-building efforts, designed to bring young Nigerians from across the country together in an environment that fosters understanding, excellence, and leadership.

“Fifty, 60 years ago, when the unity schools were created, the idea was to create a learning platform that will bring young Nigerians from all over the country to work towards nation-building,” he said.

Magaji said the experiment has yielded remarkable national impact, producing leaders in politics, the military, business, entertainment and sports.

Nnanna Anyim Udo, team lead of USOSANS in Abuja, described the alumni body as custodians of a national project built on tolerance, understanding and shared heritage.

“We have come to celebrate the richness of Nigeria’s cultural diversity and honour our unique role as healers of national unity,” he said.

Udo recalled that unity schools were established to immerse young Nigerians in an environment rich in multiple cultures, languages and religions, a platform that continues to shape values of coexistence.

“We will continue to be a counterforce to algorithms, pushing hatred and division, especially among our young people.”