A Nigerian company offering construction, real estate development, energy and finance services, Sujimoto Group, has proposed a large-scale fortified border and agro-development initiative estimated at N20 trillion, which it says could significantly reduce terrorism, banditry and cross-border crime across Nigeria.
The proposal outlined the construction of an extensive fortified frontier along Nigeria’s most porous borders, combined with large-scale agricultural and rural development projects aimed at addressing the economic roots of insecurity.
According to Sujimoto, Nigeria’s rising insecurity persists despite heavy defence spending and troop deployments.
Citing data from a 2024 Global Rights report, he noted that at least 24,816 Nigerians were killed between 2019 and 2024 due to insurgency, banditry, terrorism and communal violence, while millions have been displaced.
The company further referenced estimates indicating that Nigeria spent nearly N3 trillion on defence and security in 2023 alone, yet insecurity has continued to worsen, costing the economy more than ₦7.17 trillion in lost productivity, abandoned farmlands and disrupted livelihoods.
Sujimoto argued that the challenge is not a lack of resources but weak strategy, stressing the need to integrate national defence with economic development.
“Security treated only as expenditure will never end fear. Security treated as infrastructure becomes an investment that multiplies value,” the firm said.
The proposed plan includes the construction of modern concrete barriers, surveillance towers positioned at intervals of about 50 kilometres, high-resolution cameras, drone launch pads, rapid-response security bases and access roads along key border corridors. The initial focus would be on border regions linking Nigeria to Niger and Cameroon, covering an estimated 2,900 kilometres.
The company said the proposal aligns with recent calls by Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, who has advocated a fortified and technology-driven border security system to curb infiltration and arms trafficking.
Beyond physical barriers, Sujimoto said the initiative would integrate agro-industrial zones behind the fortified borders. These would include large-scale farm estates, agro-processing hubs, housing, clinics, markets and renewable energy infrastructure designed to create employment and stabilise border communities.
Under what it described as the Sujimoto Farm Estate Vision, between 20,000 and one million hectares of farmland could be developed across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, transforming previously vulnerable border areas into productive agricultural and industrial corridors.
“Insecurity is not only a military problem; it is an economic and developmental crisis. Where youth lack jobs, dignity and opportunity, violence thrives. Development creates resilience, while security creates time. Together, they create stability,” Sujimoto said.
The firm maintained that it has the technical capacity to execute such large-scale infrastructure projects, citing its track record in high-end construction, including the rapid completion of its LucreziaBySujimoto luxury development in Lagos.
The proposal draws comparisons with fortified border systems adopted by countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United States and Israel, which combine physical barriers with advanced surveillance and rapid-response capabilities.
Sujimoto called on the Federal Government to consider the plan as a public-private partnership, describing it as a long-term national investment rather than a conventional security project.
“If Nigeria builds boldly and links security with development, insecurity can become a closed chapter,” it said, adding that fortified borders, productive farmlands and empowered youth could reposition the country as a model for transforming crisis into opportunity.
