President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said on Saturday that traditional institutions must play a central role in how Nigeria is governed, calling monarchs indispensable partners in tackling insecurity and driving development at the grassroots level.
Tinubu made the remarks during a farewell reception, part of his push to restore the standing of traditional rulers in Nigeria's political and administrative structures. He has long argued that the palace system, weakened over decades of military rule and democratic experimentation, holds answers to problems that sit beyond the reach of federal and state governments.
The president's comments reflect a broader strategy within his administration to lean on traditional leaders as channels for peace-building and community mobilisation. In many parts of Nigeria, especially the north, traditional rulers still command respect and can sway public opinion in ways that elected officials cannot. They also serve as dispute resolvers and custodians of local culture, roles that the government believes are essential to stability.
Tinubu has backed this philosophy with action. Since taking office in May 2023, his government has elevated the profile of the National Council of Traditional Rulers, given traditional leaders seats on security committees, and consulted them on major policy decisions affecting their domains. The approach marks a deliberate shift from the post-1999 democratic order, which largely sidelined palaces in formal governance.
The timing of his Saturday statement matters. Nigeria faces a security crisis that has defied military and police responses alone. In the northwest, bandits operate with near impunity. In the northeast, Boko Haram and Islamic State splinter groups control swathes of territory. In the southeast, separatist militias stage attacks. In each region, traditional rulers possess local intelligence networks and legitimacy that security forces lack. Tinubu's position is that bringing them into the formal governance structure could unlock that advantage.
Grassroots development is the other pillar of his argument. The president believes that traditional leaders understand local needs better than bureaucrats in state capitals or Abuja. They know which communities lack water, which roads need repair, which schools are failing. If they are given resources and authority, the thinking goes, development programmes will reach villages that government agencies have overlooked for years.
The president is expected to issue formal guidelines in coming weeks on how traditional rulers will integrate into security architecture and development planning at the state and local government levels.
