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The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has reaffirmed the commitment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to addressing insecurity in Nigeria through enhanced investment in equipment, personnel, and intelligence operations.
In a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Rabiu Ibrahim, the minister emphasised this during the inaugural international conference organized by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday.
Themed ‘Interrogating the Root Causes of Violence in the Sahel and Its Impact on Nigeria’s Territorial Integrity’, the event brought together experts, policymakers, and stakeholders to explore solutions to the security threats originating from the Sahel region.
Mr Idris highlighted the growing instability in the Sahel, which has become a hotbed for terrorism, organised crime, drug trafficking, and arms smuggling.
He noted that the porous borders between Nigeria and the region have exacerbated the spillover of violence and extremism into the country, further threatening national security.
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“Nigeria shares a long and porous border with several Sahelian countries caught up in conflict, making us vulnerable to the spillover effects of the conflict. This not only threatens our security but also challenges our capacity to maintain effective control over our borders.
“Several scholars and experts had earlier attributed these challenges to socioeconomic marginalization, weak governance structures, environmental degradation and climate change, transnational organized crime, and illegal trafficking in arms among others but the spillover effect of these conflicts is taking its toll on our economy, internal security and the socio-economic well-being of our people,” he said.
The minister further noted that the root causes of violence in the Sahel region stem from socioeconomic marginalization, weak governance structures, environmental challenges, and the prevalence of organised crime.
However, he stressed that the Federal Government remains fully committed to tackling these issues, both through domestic initiatives and in partnership with international stakeholders.
“The violence in the Sahel is not an isolated issue, and no single country can tackle it alone. Therefore, Nigeria has stepped up its engagement with its neighbours and other regional and international partners, it’s strengthening joint military operations such as the Multinational Joint Task Force, and also supporting initiatives that aim to stabilize the Sahel region.
“On the home front, security has remained a top priority in President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, and through investment in equipment, manpower, acquisition of more fighting platforms, and intelligence gathering, we are winning the war against insecurity.”
Mr Idris noted that addressing these challenges would require coordinated efforts between government agencies, international partners, and security experts to protect Nigeria’s territorial integrity and promote long-term peace and stability in the Sahel region.
He also called on the experts gathered at the conference to thoroughly examine the root causes of the armed conflicts in the Sahel, to develop innovative solutions to effectively confront these issues.
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