Why Security Problems Persist in Nigeria--Workshop

Why Security Problems Persist in Nigeria--Workshop

Poverty. Uneven development. Factionalised elites. These are some of the reasons a technical workshop on sustainable security in Nigeria, identified as the principal causes of the worrisome security challenges confronting the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. The forum has therefore enunciated how to tackle the militant Islamic group, Boko Haram, and all the other insurgent networks across the country.

The security workshop was however, organised by the Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (IHRHL) in partnership with the US-Fund for Peace, in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

The meeting was attended by participants selected from civil society organizations from Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Kaduna, Lagos, and Rivers states. Fund for Peace was represented by two of its Washington, D.C. senior staff.

In a communiqué to AkanimoReports on Monday, jointly signed by the Executive Director of IHRHL, Mr. Anyakwee Nsirimovu, and the Senior Programme Associate of the US group, Nate Haken, participants during their deliberations noted that throughout Nigeria, at the national, state and local levels, there are severe pressures on stability, to include social, economic, and security related factors.

“All these factors must be addressed in a holistic and integrated manner. They include indicators in the Conflict Assessment System Tool (CAST) framework: Demographic pressures; displaced people; group grievance; brain drain; uneven development; poverty; illegitimacy; lacking public services; uneven enforcement of human rights; armed groups; factionalized elites; and external factors”, the workshop said.

They therefore, resolved as follows:

• Deepen the UNLocK Nigeria network, to use CAST on an ongoing basis for conflict prevention and monitoring in Nigeria.

• Reach out to state actors across all levels and other non-state actors with CAST findings in the interest of conflict prevention and mitigation in Nigeria.

• Encourage sensitisation and awareness among stakeholders on the framework through media and other social networks.

• Form a strong synergy and encourage consistent communication among participating organisations.

• Build capacities of participating organisations in effectively administering the CAST and UNLocK framework for conflict prevention and monitoring in Nigeria.

• Encourage participating organisations to generate data analysis and disseminate information on early warning, peace building and sustainable security for prompt intervention.

According to them, “we, the UNLocK Nigeria network, call on federal, state, local government and security agents as well as other stakeholders in the nongovernmental and private sectors, to assess the conflict environment using tools such as CAST, for a better understanding of the pressures that can contribute to violent conflict. This will enable responders and practitioners to mitigate conflict strategically, without reflexively resorting to ad hoc measures”.

ENDS

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