By Oluseye Ojo
Chief of Army staff, Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, on Friday said the twin problems of poverty and unemployment must be solved in Nigeria in order to avert long-term insecurity and instability in the country. He made the disclosure when he presented the first strategic personality lecture, entitled: ‘Combating an Adversary Without Boundaries: The Need to Implement a Whole of Society Approach to Nigeria’s National Security’, held at the Institute of Peace and Strategic Studies (IPSS), University of Ibadan.
According to him, factors related to unemployment and poverty are demography and youth bulge with citizens below 35 years, accounting for about 54.1 per cent of the population, which, he said, is “estimated at 229,379,082 as of 20 July 2024. Of this figure, less than 20 per cent of them are gainfully employed.” Lagbaja, who was represented by the General Officer Commanding, 2-Division of the Nigerian Army, Major-General Obinna Onubogu, maintained that “The twin problems of unemployment and poverty has given impetus to security challenges, as the unemployed and poor are susceptible to recruitment by criminals and violent Non State Actors.
“A whole-of-society approach must be implemented in Nigeria by leveraging the strength of every stakeholder to ensure a cohesive and coordinated response to threats. To achieve this, there must be enhanced communication, cooperation, and trust among the different sectors, while also ensuring that their efforts are aligned with national interests and other security objectives. The strategy can potentially address the root causes of insecurity, such as poverty, unemployment, and social injustice often exploited by adversaries.”
Lagbaja added that the porous and unmanned borders of Nigeria have opened Nigeria to the infiltration of adversaries from West Africa, saying the fact that four West African countries have been ranked among the 10 most terrorised nations of the world “is indicative of the transnational affiliations existing among terror groups in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“The operating environment has evolved to a point where no single service or agency can effectively and independently tackle the threats to national security. It is therefore crucial that synergy is developed with other security agencies in the implementation of the whole of society approach to the threats.”
The Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Prof. Kayode Adebowale, in his welcome address, expressed the confidence that the Nigerian Army would evolve effective strategy to decimate adversaries of Nigeria.
