Former Head of State, retired Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar has said that poverty, unemployment, and weak governance were some of the contributory factors heightening insecurity in the Sahel.

Abdulsalami stated this in his remarks as the Chairman of the first News Agency of Nigeria inaugural annual lecture on Thursday in Abuja.

The theme of the lecture is ‘Insecurity in the Sahel, 2008 to 2024: dissecting Nigeria’s challenges, genesis, impact and options”.

He added that climate change, and environmental degradation among other factors, had provided fertile ground for insecurity to thrive in the region.

“At the heart of the insecurity in this region, among other factors, are the undercurrents of poverty and unemployment, and the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.

“Also weak governance, and institutional failures, as well as climate change and environmental degradation.

“These factors have certainly created a fertile ground for insecurity to thrive, with devastating impacts on our dear nation.

“We must not, however, lose faith in our capacity to ride above the storms of insecurity, since this challenge is the business of every Nigerian, and indeed, all Africans,” he said.

According to him, the impact of the situation is devastating to Nigeria and the Sahel, particularly in stalling its development.

“Nigeria’s security challenges cannot be divorced from the regional heritage in the Sahel, a vast landmass which encompasses the troubled countries of Burkina, Chad, Mali, and Cameroon.

“In the year 2020, a whopping 4,660 people were killed in this region, while another 2,600 civilians lost their lives in banditry attacks in 2021,” he said.

He expressed concern that insecurity was still lingering and required concerted efforts to address the situation.

“We must work together to fight insecurity because we owe our children, the future generation, the duty to create a secured nation,” he said.

He commended NAN for organising the lecture, saying it would elicit a productive and thought-provoking response to address the situation.

According to him, the event is apt following the increased efforts of the government and other stakeholders in addressing the situation.

“At such a trying time in our national life, this effort to enliven public discourse on the debilitating challenges of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, for ransom, malignancy, and violent violence, among others, will go a long way in providing solutions aimed at boosting our security architecture,” he said.

Abubakar said that the event would provide a platform for stakeholders to identify actors in the situation, identify root causes and proffer sustainable solutions.

“This lecture tackles terrorism, kidnapping, and violence, which will go a long way in proffering solutions to insecurity in the country