The Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has denied claims that insecurity in Nigeria is worsening, insisting the government is actively confronting the challenge through domestic and international efforts.

Bwala spoke during an appearance on “Head to Head” on the Al Jazeera Media Network, hosted by journalist Mehdi Hasan at Conway Hall in London, where he defended the administration’s security record amid concerns over renewed attacks and kidnappings in parts of the country.

Acknowledging the presence of insecurity, Bwala argued that the situation must be viewed within a broader global context.

“I acknowledge the fact that we have insecurity in Nigeria, and until the hoax narrative of the ‘Christians genocide,’ we began to see back-to-back attacks in the country. For the first two years of the present administration, we experienced substantial peace in Nigeria,” he said.

“There is no country in the world today that is completely free from insecurity. There are parts of London where you cannot go in the evening.”

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Responding to questions on recent terrorist incidents, the presidential aide said Nigeria has strengthened security cooperation with several countries as part of efforts to combat terrorism.

“That is one of the reasons the President travelled to Turkey, where we reached a bilateral agreement to deal with insecurity. That is also why we are cooperating with the United States of America and other countries of the world,” Bwala said.

“The reason is that, since 9/11, terrorism has been a global phenomenon, and every country is involved in it.”

Despite reports of renewed attacks, Bwala maintained that the situation is not deteriorating.

“I can’t say it is getting worse. As a government, we are working day and night to deal with the situation.

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“I don’t agree to the fact that it (insecurity) is getting worse,” he insisted.

The presidential aide also accused Western media outlets of portraying Nigeria and Africa negatively. Using a glass of water to illustrate his point, he said Western media often focus on negative narratives.

“Before the President took office, we knew the situation in Nigeria. When he decided to take bold steps to place the country on a better trajectory, we were well aware of the fact that it was going to incense lots of people,” he said.

Highlighting progress made by the government, Bwala said security forces had arrested leaders of Boko Haram and Lakurawa months before comments by US President Donald Trump on Nigeria’s security situation.

“Six months before that, we arrested leaders of Boko Haram and Lakurawa, and prior to that, we eliminated a number of terrorists. The US State Department commended Nigeria for that. The US Embassy recognised these efforts even before Trump’s statement,” he said.

“We declared national emergency on insecurity six months before Donald Trump’s statement. That was around April or May 2025.”

While defending the government’s efforts, Bwala admitted that kidnapping has evolved into a lucrative criminal enterprise in parts of the country.

“I acknowledge that insecurity related to kidnappings has become a crisis economy, but much more than that, I know of our government’s efforts in dealing with that insecurity,” he said.

“If one understands Nigeria’s geography and the nature of insecurity, one will understand that we are confronting a complex, hydra-headed problem.”

Addressing the abduction of schoolchildren, he said the government has implemented measures to protect students.

“Regarding the kidnapping of children, the government has implemented the Safe Schools Initiative, relocating students from remote, insecure areas to state capitals so they can access the education they need safely.” he added.