Security experts in Nigeria have been calling for a thorough review of the country's security architecture due to the escalating insecurity situation. The experts gathered at a discourse in Ibadan, where they emphasized the need for stronger community-based responses and a national summit to address the security challenges. The event, which was held at the Senior Staff University of Ibadan Discuss Group, examined the country's challenges from both human security and traditional security perspectives.

A professor of peace and conflict studies at the University of Ibadan, Isaac Albert, noted that Nigeria is currently facing a deep security crisis. According to him, the country is struggling with weak economic, personal, community, political, and environmental security. Albert stated that no region in the country can be considered fully peaceful, and many citizens are being forced to flee or are being pushed towards desperation and criminality.

Nigeria's security situation has been a long-standing concern, with previous efforts such as the Oputa Panel, the 2005 national conference, and the 2014 national conference failing to yield sustainable solutions. Albert urged the nation to confront the reality of its problems, saying "We have problems, let us face the fact that we have problems. This country is not doing well. Let us stop pretending."

Experts have also highlighted the limitations of the conventional security system, which has made it necessary to rethink security management in line with Nigeria's cultural, social, and local realities. Nelson Fashina, a professor at the University of Ibadan, advocated for a bottom-up approach, strengthening security from the local government level.

Fashina suggested recruiting and training able-bodied youths to secure forests and other ungoverned spaces often used by bandits, insurgents, and terrorists. He also proposed empowering voluntary and indigenous security structures to complement conventional agencies that are already overstretched.

💡 NaijaBuzz Take

The call for a review of Nigeria's security architecture is long overdue. Isaac Albert's stark assessment of the country's security situation is a wake-up call for the government to take concrete steps to address the deep-seated problems. The failure of previous efforts to yield sustainable solutions is a clear indication that a new approach is needed. The proposal to strengthen security from the local government level and to empower voluntary and indigenous security structures is a step in the right direction. However, it remains to be seen whether the government will take the necessary steps to address the security challenges facing the country.