The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, has stated that solving the twin problems of poverty and unemployment is critical to efficiently addressing insecurity and instability in the country.
He noted that linked to the factors of unemployment and poverty is the issue of demography and the youth bulge, with citizens below the age of 35 years accounting for about 54.1 percent of the population. Out of the high youth population, he said, less than 20 percent are gainfully employed.
Lagbaja made this point while presenting the first strategic personality lecture at the Institute of Peace and Strategic Studies (IPSS), University of Ibadan, titled: “Combating an Adversary Without Boundaries: The Need to Implement a Whole-of-Society Approach to Nigeria’s National Security,” on Friday.
Represented by the General Officer Commanding 2-Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Obinna Onubogu, the Chief of Army Staff asserted that unemployment and poverty are fueling the nation’s security challenges, as the unemployed and poor are susceptible to recruitment by criminals and violent non-state actors.
To tackle insecurity, Lagbaja called for enhanced communication, cooperation, and trust among stakeholders in different sectors, ensuring their endeavors align with national interests and security objectives. This strategy, he said, would address the root causes of insecurity, such as poverty, unemployment, and social injustice, which are often exploited by adversaries.
He also highlighted the importance of Artificial Intelligence and other technologies in addressing intangible security threats.
Additionally, he noted that Nigeria’s porous and unmanned borders expose the country to infiltration by adversaries from neighboring African nations, particularly those known to harbor terror groups.
Lagbaja mentioned that the Army has deepened its synergy with other agencies to combat insurgency and other acts of insecurity.
He said, “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 a whole-of-society approach to these threats. Communication, cooperation, and collaboration among MDAs have been major topics of discussion.
“Although there has been some improvement, much more still needs to be done. Counter-insurgency operations require synergy among agencies, who need to collaborate toward achieving a common goal. Collaboration, communication, and cooperation are essential for planning, sharing intelligence, and the practical execution of operations. Where synergy is lacking among security agencies, there can never be a coordinated approach to the prevailing security challenges.
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“In the North East, for example, the Nigerian Air Force provides air support, aerial surveillance, casualty evacuation, and logistics airlift for troops, while the Nigerian Navy has deployed its Special Boat Services and operationalized its Forward Operation Base in Baga as part of the overall operations on the Lake Chad waters. Furthermore, personnel from the Nigeria Police, Department of State Services, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Immigration, and Customs are deployed in liberated towns and villages in Borno and Yobe states to ensure security and relieve Nigerian Army personnel of policing tasks in such areas, resulting in better synergy and collaboration.
“In the contemporary era, issues of technology, particularly artificial intelligence, social media, and cybersecurity, have reshaped national security imperatives. Contemporary security threats are no longer tangible but intangible, dominated by networks of non-state actors who have eroded the ability of nation-states to effectively implement measures to enhance national security. These threats have a high capacity to disrupt, damage, and destroy people, assets, and infrastructure.”
In his welcome address, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Kayode Adebowale, noted that the IPSS has been at the vanguard of training security manpower and working with security sector actors to improve the country’s security.
He expressed confidence that the Nigerian Army will evolve an effective strategy to decimate Nigeria’s adversaries.
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