Senate President Godswill Akpabio has assured Nigerians that the country’s insecurity will soon be defeated, while declaring that reforms in the banking sector have made it stronger and more resilient.

Akpabio, who made the remarks while canvassing support for President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope reforms, said the twin challenges of insecurity and economic hardship required sustained government action as well as cooperation from citizens.

He described Insecurity as a major threat to economic development, noting that businesses and investors could not thrive in an atmosphere of fear and instability.

“Insecurity is a direct enemy of development,” he said.

“No foreign investor will build in an atmosphere of chaos, and no local business can thrive without safety.”

According to the Senate President, security agencies have moved from a reactive approach to a more proactive strategy in confronting terrorists, bandits, and other criminal elements.

“The security forces are taking the fight directly to the enclaves of criminals, bandits, and insurgents,” he said.

“The strategy has shifted from reaction to proactive confrontation, and I assure Nigerians that insecurity will be defeated.”

Akpabio urged Nigerians to complement the efforts of security agencies by providing credible and timely information about suspicious activities in their communities.

He said military hardware alone could not end criminality, stressing that actionable intelligence from citizens remained critical to security operations.

“Security is a collective civic responsibility,” he said.

“Our security personnel are working tirelessly on the frontlines, but they rely on actionable intelligence from the communities they protect.”

On the economy, Akpabio said the banking sector had undergone significant changes under the Tinubu administration, arguing that the era of sudden bank failures and loss of depositors’ funds was over.

“Today, thanks to the bold vision and strategic foresights of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, our banking sector has transitioned from survival to absolute dominance,” he said.

He described the sector as one of the safest, most resilient and technologically advanced banking systems in Africa, attributing the development to ongoing consolidation and recapitalisation.

Akpabio said the reforms had helped strengthen investor confidence, protect depositors’ funds and create a foundation for long-term economic growth.

The Central Bank of Nigeria has similarly described the banking sector as resilient, while noting that the ongoing recapitalisation exercise is expected to further strengthen banks and enhance their capacity to support credit growth.

The Senate President, however, acknowledged the economic difficulties being experienced by Nigerians, saying the sacrifices being made were part of efforts to address structural weaknesses in the economy.

“We acknowledge the sacrifices of the Nigerian people,” he said.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his cabinet members are not resting on their oars.”

He urged Nigerians in the country and the diaspora to support national development and work with government institutions, particularly security agencies.

“Let us stand united, support our security agencies, and work hand-in-hand with this administration to build the nation of our dreams,” Akpabio said.

The Senate President has made similar assurances on insecurity earlier in 2026, including a June declaration that Nigeria would overcome its security challenges and a February pledge that banditry and insurgency would end during the year. (Nigerian Tribune)