Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, has called for a focused strategy to tackle Nigeria’s twin challenges of poverty and unemployment to avert long-term insecurity and instability in the country.
He made this assertion while presenting the inaugural strategic personality lecture at the Institute of Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ibadan, on Friday.
Represented by Major-General Obinna Onubogu, General Officer Commanding 2-Division of the Nigerian Army, Lt-Gen Lagbaja stated, “The twin problems of unemployment and poverty have given impetus to security challenges, as the unemployed and poor are susceptible to recruitment by criminals and violent non-state actors.”
He stressed the need for a “whole-of-society approach,” which involves leveraging the strengths of all stakeholders to ensure a coordinated and cohesive response to security threats.
Lagbaja emphasized that improved communication, cooperation, and trust among various sectors are crucial.
“The strategy can potentially address the root causes of insecurity, such as poverty, unemployment, and social injustice often exploited by adversaries,” he said.
He also pointed out the issue of Nigeria’s porous borders, which have facilitated the infiltration of adversaries from West Africa.
Lagbaja noted that “four West African countries ranked among the 10 most terrorized nations of the world,” indicating the transnational affiliations among terror groups in sub-Saharan Africa.
“No single agency can solve the myriad of insecurities facing the country,” Lagbaja concluded, adding that the Nigerian Army is intensifying its collaboration with other agencies to fulfill its mandate of safeguarding lives and property and ensuring national security.
