President Bola Tinubu has named Major General Adeyinka Fadewa (retd) as special adviser on homeland security, making it the first time such a position has been created at the federal level in Nigeria’s history.
The appointment was disclosed on Monday in a statement issued by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) through a circular signed by SGF Sen 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 states had occasionally introduced similar roles at the sub-national level, no former Nigerian president had created a specific homeland security advisory office within the presidency.
The establishment of the office represents a shift from Nigeria’s conventional security structure, where advisory responsibilities have largely been handled through the National Security Adviser’s NSA office.
Fadewa comes into the pioneering position with more than 30 years of military and intelligence experience, covering national security strategy, intelligence fusion, counter-terrorism operations, and international security diplomacy.
One of his most significant roles was serving as Principal General Staff Officer to the National Security Adviser at the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) from 2015 to 2021. During that period, he led the creation of the Intelligence Fusion Centre — a joint multi-agency intelligence platform involving the Defence Intelligence Agency, National Intelligence Agency, Department of State Services, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Armed Forces to strengthen national threat assessment and improve strategic response coordination.
After retiring from active military 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 also authored the monograph titled “Policing and National Security in Nigeria”, which is widely referenced for presenting practical models for civil-security collaboration.
Tinubu said he believes the appointment will improve “coordination of homeland security initiatives, intelligence integration, and proactive risk management” and encouraged Fadewa to apply his extensive experience toward advancing the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
