President Bola Ahmed Tinubu stated that Nigeria cannot address its 'security' challenges alone and is seeking 'pragmatic collaboration' and partnerships with its neighbours to tackle the issue while speaking during the Africa CEO Summit in Kigali on Friday.

"Security challenges will always be there. Those are things you cannot do alone. You can't operate the world with that solution. Even Trump, as bold as he is, is in China. He's talking about them in Taiwan. So who am I in Nigeria to say I will do it alone? I must embrace my neighbours. In ECOWAS, Nigeria is a big brother. In Africa, we are the fat lady. We must sing the tune. We must sing the right tune for others to pay attention to it. And that is what we are doing."

When asked whether Nigeria has currently lost its military might, Tinubu rejected the claim, noting that the country's security focus has shifted toward combating domestic insurgencies and other internal threats.

"We were handed Zaire (DRC) in a crisis. You have Sudan in crisis. We have stabilised West Africa to some extent."

Nigeria currently faces significant security challenges, including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and ethno-religious conflicts.

The driving force behind these challenges stems from deep economic inequality, systemic corruption, and fragile governance, which have fuelled the rise of insurgent groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP, allowing them to exploit instability and target vulnerable countries.

The Africa CEO Forum, held annually since 2012, is one of the continent's largest business and investment gatherings, attracting thousands of participants from across Africa and beyond.