AACS Fortnightly
(Mondays)
17th July 2023

From the Chairman’s Desk,

Setting The Economic Agenda Series – SECURITY

The final of AACS’s six critical issues in the economic setting agenda is SECURITY https://lnkd.in/eiRE9A6S. The security challenges are legion, including insurgency, terrorism, kidnapping, inter-communal violence, cultism and banditry. It is indeed the whale in the room, and a significant reason for the economic trials we go through. Security of lives and property is the principal raison d’etre of every government in the world, and the peace and stability it brings is sine qua non to economic prosperity.

Unarguably, the biggest security challenge to the nation since the 1990’s has been terrorism. In the northern regions, banditry and kidnappings have increased sharply, including abduction of school children, train bombings, and extortion of communities for protective levies. Similarly, separatists groups in the eastern region have fuelled violence and disruptions to daily commercial activities, including the deaths of several civilians, security personnels, and the destruction of police stations. Attacks have also been aimed at commercial farm projects which are believed to be ransom-worthy targets. The food crisis created is significantly related to security, proving that the deployment of Agro-Rangers by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to over 2,500 plantations nationwide for protection may be good, but it’s inadequate for the level of the crisis. The road networks have also been plagued by the menace, with thousands of travellers meeting a tragic end in the hands of criminals on the roads.

The attention of the President in his first two months in office is commendable, but it must be sustained. Sweeping changes to the leadership of the national security agencies led to the replacement of the Chiefs of the Air Force, Army, Navy, Police and Defence Intelligence to inject fresh thinking and approach. Earlier in the year, AACS proposed improvements in recruitment policies, training & orientation that mimics international best practices, and can help tackle the security issues in the nation, while taking cognizance of our local peculiarities https://lnkd.in/esaaK3uY. We must revisit the issue of State Police and proactive intelligence gathering. Smart carrot-and-stick strategies should also be employed where negotiations are explored, and force employed if it fails.

At AACS, we believe that improving the security imbroglio is directly related to our quest for economic rejuvenation. It is what gives the international business community the push to flow funds and business to Nigeria, and drives productivity of two hundred million people.

The security challenges after so many years will not vanish overnight, but we must continue to deal with this, giving it the fierce urgency it deserves.

Falil Ayo Abina

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