Thread by @DefenseNigeria

Military power and economic security go hand in hand. We have the largest economy in Africa.. by far with the second largest dollar reserve after Algeria...and contrary to popular belief, oil accounts for less than 20% of Nigeria's overall GDP. At the same time the Nigerian

military is stretched thin. Our police force is near non existent. Most recently, political unrest in the country has forced us to deploy more forces, stretching their supply lines. This is hardly sustainable. We need a militarized Police Force and an expanded military

so that they are able to maintain air superiority in our air space, defend sea lanes within 1,000 miles of our EEZ and intervene anywhere in the region. We need a military similar in size and scope to Egypt and Algeria. Lets not forget the reason we are in this mess today.

If the Nigerian military rose to the occasion in Mali there will be no French and American drone bases in 11 West African countries today. There will be no ISWAP. The RUF and NPLA did not proliferate when we intervened in S-Leone and Liberia. We dropped the ball allowed France

..to move in, gain a foothold in ECOWAS, fragment the economic bloc, sabotage the ECO, torpedo any attempt at economic integration, covertly prop terrorist groups in the region, prop up dictators, and create an ecosystem of self perpetuating violence.

If the Nigerian military could carry out its regional security obligation when it mattered, it could more easily maintain the political and security order of a once peaceful ECOWAS. Good relations with the United States and the UK is very important to Nigeria, as with China.

and we should do our best to explain our position and reduce friction. Both countries have no territorial ambition in the region. France is Nigeria's historic arch nemesis. Yes the Nigerian military is on an upward trajectory, however that sense of urgency is still lacking.

Nigeria should increase military spending to gain the respect of other nations and ensure regional security. Nigeria's economic power would be matched by the political power necessary to maintain stability in the region. History has shown that regional peace is best determined

..by a regional player. Outsourcing the security of West Africa to an colonial parasite like France under the guise of cooperation is the biggest geopolitical mistake West African countries have made, and we are paying a terrible price for it today.

Nigeria has good relations with its neighbors, and any friction or misunderstanding is mostly due to francophone alliance with France . Again the ECO comes to mind. A decade of planning. Millions of dollars spent on feasibility studies and economic infrastructure wiped

..by the actions of a francophone state. Francophone alliance to Paris has been the source of friction with Nigeria, who see them as the soft underbelly of what is perhaps the most effective regional bloc in Africa. Smart leadership is what has failed Nigeria.

We may not know it, but many nations in the region are very sensitive to Nigeria's actions. Nigeria is an economic superpower that dominates trade and economic affairs throughout the region. Because of this influence, some nations fear any sign of peaceful and thriving Nigeria.

A visibly large and powerful military can be a useful counter to destabilizing agents like France. As a consequence any expansion of Nigeria's military role outside of Nigerian territory will not go unchallenged. We need to come to grips with this reality and be ready.

Look at Ukraine. If Ukraine hadn't given up its nuclear weapons and tactical bombers there will be no Russian troops in Kiev today. It is far cheaper to deter than expel. Nigeria has no excuse for punching below its weight militarily. The security imperative is there

The economic wherewithal is there. The manpower is abundant.