At least 150 million Nigerians have been affected by insecurity, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, said on Friday.
Ribadu made the statement in Abuja during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the National Counter Terrorism Centre and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture.
The partnership is designed to boost agribusiness and support communities that have been hurt by terrorism and violent extremism.
The NSA noted that insecurity has severely damaged the agricultural sector, which is the main source of income and livelihood for many Nigerians.
He said, “Security is the biggest problem we are facing in all sectors, but the biggest victim of insecurity is agriculture because when it came in, it interfered with our lives; Nigerians are farmers. Either you’re a farmer or from a family of farmers, so all of us one way or the other, it has affected us. Insecurity has turned our lives upside down. When we come together, we are better off. We must come together to give our people their lives back.”
Ribadu added that the scale of insecurity is massive and affects a huge number of people in the country.
He noted, “Our people are in dire need of this. I don’t think there is any country in the world today which is facing the challenges we are facing. Because we are big, we are huge in number. Populations that are affected by the insecurity in Nigeria may be in excess of 120 to 150 million.”
He urged for a collective effort involving all parts of society to tackle the root causes of insecurity, which he identified as poverty, lack of opportunities, and social exclusion.
Ribadu also warned that the ongoing security crisis threatens the stability of Nigeria as a nation.
He mentioned the collapse of neighboring countries in the Sahel region due to insurgencies and noted, “We are the only ones still standing strong in the Sahel, and that is thanks to the efforts of our security forces. But we are in difficulty.”
He stressed the importance of combining military actions with peaceful, long-term solutions aimed at development and stability.
