The National Security Council (Nigeria)
The Nigeria Constitution provides for the establishment of a National Security Council. The President is the chairman of this council and this shows the importance attached to national security by the constitution.
The other members of the council are the Vice President (Deputy Chairman), the Chief of Defence Staff, the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Minister of Defence, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the National Security Adviser and the Inspector General of Police.
The President can also coopt a few people into the council.
The National Security Council advises the President on matters relating to public security. Thus, unlike the National Defence Council, which deals primarily with external security, the main focus of the National Security Council is internal security.
It is, however, difficult to determine what constitutes national security.
Is it the security of all Nigerians regardless of status, class, religion or tribe or simply the security of those in power?
Does it include food security?
If, for example, the state cannot feed its citizens or, there is widespread poverty in the country, then national security may be compromised.
This implies that national security should not be considered strictly from the narrow perspective of maintaining law and order.
