The National Security Adviser (NSA) is just an adviser like another adviser the President might appoint to advise him on any role.
Ideally, the NSA serves as an honest broker of policy options for the president in the field of national security, rather than as an advocate for his or her policy agenda.
In the USA we have seen many NSA that don't have military or security background. Sometimes they are appointed by the academic.
For example, Henry Kissinger, Sandy Berger, Condi Rice, and Susan Rice to mention but a few were all academics.
Thomas Edward Donilon, the 22nd National Security Advisor in the Obama administration from 2010 to 2013 is a lawyer and business executive.
Jacob Jeremiah Sullivan the current NSA to President Joe Biden is a lawyer and a visiting Professor at Yale University Law School.
The critique of the appointment of Malam Nuhu Ribadu as NSA by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the ground that he is ill-suited to be NSA because he hasn't a military background and that the military bass will be reluctant to report to him is bunkum, balderdash, and non sequitur.
The criticism is steeped and laced by deep-seated ignorance of the real import of the office of the NSA and its role in the polity.
Undoubtedly Malam Ribadu is eminently qualified to be NSA.
He is a senior lawyer, a former senior police officer, a former Chairman of EFCC, and a former presidential candidate.
He is professionally and intellectually equipped to perform adequately and well the job of NSA.
He is not the first person with a nonmilitary background to be appointed NSA.
The NSA in the administration of General Sani Abacha was a professional police officer by the name of Ismalia Gwarzo.
He was NSA from August 1993 – June 1998.
Nikolai Patrushev who is the NSA of the Russian Federation is not a military officer. He is a politician, security, and intelligence professional yet the powerful Russian military report to him.
Ambassador Celso Amorim, the Brazilian NSA is a career diplomatic.
He was formerly the Foreign Minister of Brazil.
The NSA of India is
Ajit Doval, KC. Before he was appointed NSA, he had been the Chief of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Indian Police Service (IPS).
I commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his departure from the norm in 1999.
It is a manifestation of creativity and innovation.
Chief Okoi Obono-Obla