Hunger, poverty fuelling insecurity in Nigeria – NSA

Ribadu

The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, has identified hunger and poverty as major drivers of insecurity across Nigeria, stressing that tackling them is essential to achieving lasting peace and development.

Ribadu said this on Monday at the National Security Seminar, themed “Combating Hunger and Poverty for Sustainable Peace and Development in Nigeria.”

The seminar was organised by the Alumni Association of the National Defence College in Abuja.

Ribadu, represented by the Director of Defence Affairs at the Office of the NSA, Maj Gen Peter Mala, said, “Hunger and poverty are not merely social concerns; they are catalysts for insecurity, crime, violence, and social disintegration.

“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 to break the cycle.

These 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 would continue 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, Gen Christopher Musa, said hunger and poverty had evolved from social concerns into full-blown national security threats.