The Federal Government has blamed Nigeria’s porous borders on the country’s security challenges.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation Alhaji Mohammed Idris, in a statement on Thursday, noted that Nigeria’s long border with several Sahelian countries caught up in conflict makes it vulnerable to the spillover effects of the conflict.
Idris spoke at the first international conference organised by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), which seeks to examine the root cause of violence in the Sahel and Its Impact on Nigeria’s territorial integrity.
“This not only threatens our security but also challenges our capacity to maintain effective control over our borders,” Alhaji Idris said.
The minister in a statement by special assistant on media Rabiu Musa, reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s commitment to tackling insecurity in the country through improved investment in equipment, manpower, and intelligence gathering.
He recalled that several scholars and experts had earlier attributed these challenges “to socioeconomic marginalisation, weak governance structures, environmental degradation and climate change, transnational organized crime, and illegal trafficking in arms among others.”
The minister however stated that the spillover effect of these conflicts is taking its toll on the nation’s economy, internal security and the socio-economic well-being of our people.
He blamed the root causes of violence in the Sahel, including socioeconomic marginalisation, on weak governance structures, environmental challenges and organised crime.
Alhaji assured that the Federal Government was committed to addressing these underlying issues both domestically and in collaboration with international partners.
“The violence in the Sahel is not an isolated issue, and no single country can tackle it alone.
“Therefore, Nigeria has stepped up its engagement with its neighbours and other regional and international partners, it’s strengthening joint military operations such as the multinational joint task Fmforce, as well as supporting initiatives that aim to stabilise the Sahel region.
“On the home front, security has remained a top priority in President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, and through investment in equipment, manpower, acquisition of more fighting platforms, and intelligence gathering, we are winning the war against insecurity.
“Tacking these challenges would require collaboration between government agencies, international partners, and security experts in order to safeguard Nigeria’s territorial integrity and contribute to lasting peace and stability in the Sahel region,” Idris stated.
He urged the experts to dissect the root causes of the armed conflicts in the Sahel with a view to developing innovative solutions to tackle the challenges.
The conference brought together experts, policymakers, and stakeholders to assess and propose solutions to the challenges posed by violence in the Sahel region.