The Arewa Think Tank has called on the United Kingdom and other foreign diplomatic missions to exercise restraint in publishing sweeping security alerts, asserting that alarmist travel advisories destabilize Nigeria during key political transitions.
Muhammad Alhaji Yakubu, the convener of the Northern socio-political group, presented the position during a four-point policy address covering international relations, public finance, industrial revival, and the conduct of religious institutions.
Yakubu maintained that while foreign embassies hold an obligation to inform their citizens of regional risks, blanket security bulletins targeting 11 Nigerian states distort international perception, dampen economic momentum, and create an unfounded impression of nationwide unrest.
Diplomatic Scrutiny of UK Foreign Office Security Advisories
The group challenged the timing and framing of diplomatic advisories, arguing that external partners must allow sovereign nations to address domestic security without compounding local anxieties.
Yakubu observed that Nigerian authorities refrain from issuing reciprocal travel restrictions targeting Western capitals during periods of heightened political tension abroad.
Indiscriminate security warnings inflict real economic consequences by deterring direct investment, disrupting cross-border commerce, and creating friction across internal transport corridors without offering tangible security solutions.
Fiscal Impact of the Petrol Subsidy Removal
Examining the national economic debate ahead of upcoming ballots, the Arewa Think Tank cautioned citizens against accepting political commitments centered on restoring the Premium Motor Spirit subsidy.
The organization stated that the fiscal realignment under President Bola Tinubu has expanded statutory allocations across subnational administrations, providing state and local governments with the liquidity necessary to meet recurring payroll obligations.
Yakubu questioned the budgetary viability of reversing the reform, warning that reintroducing universal fuel subsidies would deplete public treasuries and trigger severe fiscal deficits across subnational governments.
Voters must assess political manifestos through empirical fiscal realities rather than populist welfare proposals, allowing ongoing economic adjustments to proceed across an eight-year governing cycle.
Strategic Value of the Ajaokuta Steel Complex Revival
The organization endorsed federal interventions targeted at restarting production at the long-dormant Ajaokuta Steel Complex located in Kogi State.
The multi-billion-dollar metallurgical installation has remained stalled for roughly three decades, constraining domestic industrial capacity and entrenching national dependency on imported steel inputs.
Yakubu stated that the facility must be treated as an essential piece of national infrastructure rather than a partisan issue, noting that domestic steel output is critical to strengthening industrial manufacturing, conserving foreign reserves, and generating technical employment.
Institutional Boundaries for Religious Institutions
The briefing concluded with a direct call for Christian and Islamic clerics to maintain institutional neutrality and end the practice of using places of worship for political campaigning.
Yakubu noted that religious figures seeking direct involvement in partisan politics should formally vacate clerical offices and contest political platforms as standard citizens.
Clerical partisanship risks inflaming sectarian divisions during sensitive democratic periods, making institutional restraint across religious pulpits essential for sustaining social cohesion.
