Modern sovereignty requires cooperation, not isolation — Jimoh Ibrahim

By : Guardian Nigeria

Date: 28 December 2025 10:01am WAT

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The senator representing Ondo South, Dr Jimoh Ibrahim

The senator representing Ondo South, Dr Jimoh Ibrahim

The senator representing Ondo South and a scholar of modern war studies, Dr Jimoh Ibrahim, has argued that no country in today’s international system enjoys absolute sovereignty, stressing that contemporary security challenges require collaboration and multilateral engagement.

Ibrahim, who is also an ambassador-designate, made the remarks in a press statement issued on Saturday in Igbotako, Okitipupa Local Government Area (LGA) of Ondo State, while defending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s strategy for addressing Nigeria’s insecurity through international cooperation.

“Even the most powerful nation required collective support to restore security after 9/11,” Ibrahim said, citing the United States’ response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks as an example.

He noted that despite America’s military and economic strength, Operation Enduring Freedom depended on allied support from countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia and New Zealand.

The multinational operation involved the deployment of troops, military aircraft, naval assets, intelligence sharing and coordinated actions to dismantle terrorist networks.

“This historical example clearly demonstrates that sovereignty in the modern world is not absolute,” Ibrahim said, adding that President Tinubu’s international engagement aligns with global democratic practice rather than a compromise of Nigeria’s independence.

He argued that transnational threats such as terrorism, cybercrime and pandemics transcend borders, requiring collective security measures. “Insecurity today is borderless.

Terrorist networks, cyber intrusions and even pandemics do not respect national boundaries,” he said. “If absolute sovereignty were possible, countries would be able to block threats like global cyber communications or prevent diseases such as COVID-19 from entering their borders. Reality has shown otherwise.”

Ibrahim dismissed concerns that international security partnerships might undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty, maintaining that strategic alliances strengthen a nation’s capacity to protect its citizens. He urged critics to give the Tinubu administration the diplomatic and operational space to implement its security strategies.

“Sovereignty in this era is preserved through strategic alliances and shared responsibility,” he added. “Isolation is no longer a viable option.”

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