National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu has emphasized that hunger and poverty are key underlying forces fueling insecurity across Nigeria, asserting that any meaningful effort toward national peace and development must begin with addressing these socio-economic challenges.
Speaking at the National Security Seminar in Abuja on Monday—an event organized by the Alumni Association of the National Defence College and themed “Combating Hunger and Poverty for Sustainable Peace and Development in Nigeria”—Ribadu highlighted the urgent need for integrated national strategies.
Delivering his remarks through the Director of Defence Affairs in the Office of the NSA, Major General Peter Mala, Ribadu stated:
“Hunger and poverty are not just humanitarian issues; they are strategic vulnerabilities. They ignite conflict, drive criminal activity, and tear at the social fabric of our communities.”
He called for a multi-sectoral approach that blends security, governance, and economic development to effectively break the cycle of deprivation and instability.
“These issues form a vicious cycle — poverty leads to insecurity, and insecurity, in turn, deepens poverty.”
He noted that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has prioritised agricultural reforms, social investment programmes, and security sector interventions aimed at breaking the cycle.
These, he said, include support for food security initiatives, enhanced law enforcement, and infrastructure development to boost agricultural production and distribution.
Ribadu added that the Office of the NSA continues to coordinate both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches involving the military, intelligence services, security agencies, and civil actors to confront the security crisis.
“Despite progress, challenges like unemployment, hunger, and youth disenfranchisement persist and require deeper, long-term solutions,” he said.
He called for coordinated, inclusive, and forward-thinking responses.
Echoing Ribadu’s warning, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, said hunger and poverty have evolved from social concerns into full-blown national security threats.
Represented by the Chief of Defence Training, Rear Admiral Ibrahim Shetimma, Musa called for a national approach to addressing their impact on internal security.
He said, “Insecurity today is not only defined by weapons but also by economic deprivation, food insecurity, and social dislocation.
“The North Central region, particularly Benue State, once known as Nigeria’s food basket, has been devastated by banditry, displacement, and farmer-herder conflicts.”
He warned that the disruption of farming activities, illegal occupation of farmlands, and rural-urban migration are fueling food inflation, mass displacement, and national instability.
Read also: Reps Warn Of Revolt Over Insecurity If Unaddressed
The CDS urged urgent investment in grassroots agriculture, including enhanced access to credit, infrastructure, and market opportunities, to reposition farming as a respected and profitable profession.
“With the migration of rural youths to urban centres, agricultural productivity is declining.
“We must make farming attractive again—not as a last resort, but as a national duty and a prestigious calling,” he said.
Minister of Defence, Alhaji Muhammed Badaru, has called for a security strategy rooted in human development, emphasizing that tackling underlying issues such as poverty, joblessness, and social marginalization is essential to addressing Nigeria’s multifaceted security challenges.
Speaking during the National Security Seminar in Abuja, Badaru urged stakeholders to adopt a “whole-of-society” approach, stressing the need for unified, cross-sectoral collaboration in combating threats that are increasingly complex and borderless.
“In today’s world, where security threats transcend boundaries, no single institution can solve them alone. Collective action is imperative,” he said.
He commended the resilience and ingenuity of Nigeria’s Armed Forces amid ongoing security pressures and applauded President Bola Tinubu’s dedication to improving the lives of citizens through people-centered governance.
Badaru also described the seminar as a critical forum for shaping inclusive, forward-looking security frameworks, capable of responding to the nation’s evolving realities.