Insecurity: Relevance of Olawepo-Hashim’s 2021 Call for Defence Cooperation

A national security proposal proffered sometime ago by a chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party, GbengaOlawepo-Hashim, to solve security challenges facing the country remains relevant as it’s currently making waves on X platform under the hashtag #HashimSecurityVision.

A renewed wave of online conversations has thrust former presidential candidate and chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party, GbengaOlawepo-Hashim, back into national focus as Nigerians revisit a major national security proposal he made more than four years ago.

The discussions, trending under the hashtag #HashimSecurityVision, have dominated the platform X (formerly Twitter) over the past 24 hours.

The resurgence followed the reappearance of Hashim’s 2021 recommendation urging the Nigerian government to sign a Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) with friendly nations. At the time, he argued such an alliance would provide Nigeria with access to global intelligence frameworks, advanced surveillance and combat technologies, and superior counter-terrorism expertise—resources he described as critical to confronting the country’s deepening insecurity.

With the U.S. president now issuing strong warnings over escalating violence in Nigeria, many citizens online say Olawepo-Hashim’s proposal shows striking foresight.

Commentators have described the rediscovered recommendation as evidence that Olawepo-Hashim not only understood Nigeria’s security vulnerabilities early, but also accurately assessed the structural weaknesses undermining the nation’s defence capacity. For many, this reinforces the argument that Nigeria needs precisely the sort of visionary, long-term leadership he represents, especially at a time of heightened diplomatic tensions and worsening internal security.

The conversation has also revived interest in another of Olawepo-Hashim’s policy documents—his $4 trillion economic revival plan, first published in 2018. The blueprint, which outlines strategies for large-scale industrialization, infrastructure expansion, and job creation, has resurfaced amid Nigeria’s persistent economic struggles, including inflation spikes, currency depreciation, and slowed growth.

Observers say the renewed attention to both proposals—one from 2018 and another from 2021—has strengthened Olawepo-Hashim’s image as one of the country’s most forward-thinking political figures.

Unlike many politicians whose public engagement revolves around personal rivalries or power contests, Olawepo-Hashim has consistently presented issue-driven frameworks, emphasizing structural reforms, economic modernization, and comprehensive security transformation.

Political analysts note that this sustained policy focus is what distinguishes him.

“Olawepo-Hashim stands out as Nigeria’s thinking politician,” one analyst wrote, “because his politics is anchored on ideas, not noise.”

As Nigeria confronts overlapping pressures—diplomatic strain, economic downturn, and persistent insecurity—the resurgence of Olawepi-Hashim’s past proposals may indicate a growing public appetite for leaders with clear, strategic vision rather than short-term political maneuvering.

Whether the online momentum will translate into broader political support remains uncertain. But the digital trend suggests that more Nigerians are revisiting the voices that warned early—and proposed solutions long before today’s crises intensified.