By Grace Alegba
The Association of Enterprise Risk Management Professionals (AERMP) has urged government collaboration to ensure immediate adoption of a National Risk Register.
In a statement on Monday, AERMP Director-General, Dr Olayinka Odutola, said the register is vital to strengthening Nigeria’s security and economic stability.
Odutola said Nigeria lacks a unified national framework for identifying and managing major risks confronting the country.
He warned that the nation faces “an unprecedented convergence of risks” requiring coordinated and proactive management.
He listed insecurity, terrorism, kidnapping and organised crime as escalating threats across communities.
Odutola added that cyber attacks, flooding, inflation and public health emergencies are also rising nationwide.
He said infrastructure failures and governance weaknesses compound the growing vulnerabilities facing the country.
“Nigeria must not continue without a system that tracks and prioritises threats. The National Risk Register is a necessity.”
Odutola explained that the register serves as a central, updated inventory of national threats.
He said countries like the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand use similar systems for security planning.
Odutola stressed that Nigeria must adopt global best practices in risk identification and management.
He called for a three-tier register covering federal risks, state threats and local government vulnerabilities.
Odutola said the register would serve as Nigeria’s official risk intelligence and early-warning platform.
He noted that it would improve national planning, budgeting and coordinated crisis response.
He said adopting the register would strengthen national security coordination and early threat detection.
Odutola added that the system would support data-driven policymaking across all levels of government.
He said the register would also reduce the high costs of avoidable national emergencies.
Odutola noted that it would boost investor confidence and improve community resilience nationwide.
He said Nigeria’s current approach suffers from duplication and weak inter-agency collaboration.
“We cannot continue to operate in silos. Nigeria urgently needs a central repository of threats,” he said.
Odutola pledged that AERMP would provide technical expertise, training and a workable national framework.
He said partnership with government is essential to delivering this national priority.
“Nigeria must not wait for the next crisis. The register will protect our future.”
Odutola added that the register would mark “a transformative shift” in managing national challenges.
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