The Federal Government has graduated more than 7,000 newly recruited Forest Guards from seven frontline states, marking a major step in its effort to deny terrorists, bandits and other criminal groups access to Nigeria’s forested areas.
The guards completed a three-month intensive training programme under the Presidential Forest Guards Initiative, launched by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in May 2025 and coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in collaboration with state governments.
Graduation ceremonies were held on Friday in Borno, Sokoto, Yobe, Adamawa, Niger, Kwara and Kebbi states, according to a statement issued on Saturday by Rabiu Ibrahim, Special Assistant (Media) to the Minister of Information and National Orientation.
Speaking at the ceremonies, National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, said the initiative was designed to strengthen Nigeria’s internal security architecture by cutting off criminal access to forests and other difficult terrains.
“These Forest Guards are not just uniformed personnel; they are first responders, community protectors and a critical layer of our national security system,” Ribadu said.
He confirmed that all successful trainees would be deployed immediately, stressing that there would be no delay in the commencement of salaries and allowances.
“There will be no gap between graduation and deployment. Every certified guard will proceed directly to their assigned duty posts,” he stated.
According to ONSA, the training programme combined physical conditioning, tactical fieldcraft, long-range patrol simulations and environmental conservation, alongside lessons on intelligence gathering, ambush response, rescue operations and coordinated offensive actions in forest environments.
The training also placed strong emphasis on ethics and professionalism, including human rights, international humanitarian law, gender rights and civilian protection. Arms handling and use-of-force procedures were guided by a jointly agreed Arms Management Manual.
Out of the total recruits, 98.2 per cent completed the programme successfully. Eighty-one trainees were disqualified on disciplinary grounds, while two others died due to pre-existing medical conditions.
Authorities said the Forest Guards were recruited from their local government areas to leverage their familiarity with the terrain and strengthen trust with host communities in tackling banditry, kidnapping and illegal exploitation of forest resources.
The Forest Guard initiative is an inter-agency national security programme led by ONSA in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Environment. It is operationally coordinated by the Department of State Services and the National Park Service, with support from the Defence Headquarters, the Nigerian Army, Navy, Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
Governors and deputy governors from participating states, including Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni, attended the graduation ceremonies.
Ribadu said the Federal Government remains committed to expanding the programme nationwide.
“By protecting our forests, we are securing our territory, and by securing our territory, we are protecting our people,” he said.
