Nigeria’s evolving national security framework has received a significant boost with the formal appointment and decoration of Mr. Nathaniel Msen Awuapila, fspsp, FMTI, as Assistant Commander General (ACG) and Pioneer Director of the Conflict Prevention and Resolution Department (CPRD) of the Nigeria Forest Security Service (NFSS).

The appointment, which operates under the strategic oversight of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), signals a decisive step toward integrating professional peacebuilding and non-kinetic security strategies into Nigeria’s forest security operations. With this development, a seasoned peacebuilding expert and institutional leader now assumes responsibility for guiding a force estimated at over 450,000 personnel deployed across the country’s 774 Local Government Areas.

Mr. Awuapila brings to the position decades of distinguished service spanning education, accountancy, and high-level administrative leadership. He is widely respected for his tenure as the immediate past President of the Society for Peace Studies and Practice (SPSP), where he played a pivotal role in strengthening mediation frameworks and professional peacebuilding initiatives across Nigeria. Known for his calm disposition and strategic leadership approach, his appointment reflects strong institutional confidence in his ability to harmonize operational security with conflict prevention mechanisms.

Despite the new national responsibility, Awuapila confirmed that he will continue to provide leadership within his professional networks, while relying on the support of senior management structures to ensure operational continuity and strategic alignment.

The appointment derives its authority from the 2025 establishment Act of the NFSS, recently passed by the National Assembly of Nigeria. The legislation empowers the Service to safeguard Nigeria’s vast forest territories, deny criminal elements safe havens, and promote sustainable environmental security across the country.

The decoration ceremony, held on March 4, 2026, carried strong national significance and a sense of urgency in addressing emerging security threats within Nigeria’s forests. Speaking at the event, Joshua Wole Osatimehin, Commander General of the NFSS, described the occasion as the beginning of a renewed operational phase for the Service. He praised Awuapila as a disciplined and courageous leader who “leads from the front.”

Reinforcing the expectations surrounding the appointment, the Office of the National Security Adviser delivered a firm directive through the National Security Adviser, charging the new ACG to deliver measurable results in strengthening national security. “Carry out your duties with patriotic zeal. Nigerians expect results, not excuses,” the directive emphasized.

In his inaugural remarks, ACG Awuapila stressed that enforcement alone cannot address Nigeria’s security challenges in ungoverned forest territories. He pledged to reposition the NFSS as a dual-capacity institution, combining robust environmental law enforcement with proactive dialogue, mediation, and intelligence gathering.

His strategic roadmap includes establishing a professional training foundation for all NFSS personnel while transforming the Service into a national hub for security intelligence and conflict prevention mechanisms.

The announcement has generated widespread enthusiasm within the peacebuilding community both in Nigeria and internationally. Segun Ogunyanwo, widely regarded as the “Father of Mediation” and a member of the UN Mediation Support Group Nigeria, described the appointment as a moment of “service opportunity at its apogee.” Ogunyanwo noted that with a force of over 450,000 officers, the potential impact of Awuapila’s leadership on national stability would be “immense.”

Other prominent peace advocates also welcomed the development. Chucks Nwoke described the appointment as a “new dawn” for Nigeria’s security sector, emphasizing that the NFSS is gradually evolving into a hybrid institution that merges security enforcement with professional peacebuilding.

Further endorsements came from senior SPSP members including Muhammad Kudu Abubakar, the Society’s First Vice President; Abaru Simiat, Assistant Secretary-General; and Kyari Saleh Yusufari. In her message of support, Fatima Sa'ad Abubakar, Chairperson of the SPSP Board of Fellows, urged the new ACG to justify the confidence placed in him by strengthening professionalism, vigilance, and ethical standards within the Service.

Additional commendations were expressed by Chucks Obeagu and Ola Raymond, who called for unwavering dedication to the mission of national security and sustainable peace.

Closing the circle of professional support, Jamaldeen Akanbi, Chairman of the SPSP Oyo State Branch, described the appointment as a strategic milestone in the integration of non-kinetic peacebuilding approaches into Nigeria’s broader security architecture.

“Your elevation is a recognition of your commitment to peacebuilding,” Akanbi stated. “I am confident that your leadership and dedication to mediation will significantly strengthen the NFSS mandate and contribute meaningfully to sustainable security in our forests and communities.”

With the establishment of the Conflict Prevention and Resolution Department, analysts say the Nigeria Forest Security Service is positioning itself not only as a law-enforcement agency but also as a strategic platform for dialogue, mediation, and intelligence-driven peacebuilding within Nigeria’s vast forest corridors.