By Emmanuel Elebeke

The Federal Government said yesterday it was committed  to tackling insecurity in the country through improved investment in equipment, manpower and intelligence gathering.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris,  stated this at the first international conference organized by the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, with the theme, “Interrogating the Root Cause of Violence in the Sahel and Its Impact on Nigeria’s Territorial Integrity,” in Abuja.

The parley brought together experts, policymakers, and stakeholders to assess and propose solutions to the challenges posed by violence in the Sahel region.

The minister acknowledged that the Sahel region had become a vortex of instability, violence, terrorism,  organized crime, drug trafficking, smuggling of weapons and violent extremism, with spillover effect on Nigeria due to the country’s porous borders with the region.

“Nigeria shares a long and porous border with several Sahelian countries caught up in conflict, making us vulnerable to the spillover effects of the conflict.

”This not only threatens our security but also challenges our capacity to maintain effective control over our borders.

“Several scholars and experts had earlier attributed these challenges to socio-economic marginalization, weak governance structures, environmental degradation and climate change, transnational organized crime, and illegal trafficking in arms, among others.

”But the spill-over effect of these conflicts is taking its toll on our economy, internal security and the socio-economic well-being of our people,” he said.

The minister noted that the root causes of violence in the Sahel, include socio-economic marginalization, weak governance structures, environmental challenges, and organized crime, adding that the federal government was, however, committed to addressing these underlying issues, both domestically and in collaboration with international partners.

He said:  “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 Force, and also supporting initiatives that aim to stabilize the Sahel region.”

On the home front, the minister said:  “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.

“To tackle  these challenges, Idris said it would require collaboration among 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.

He urged the experts at the conference to dissect the root causes of the armed conflicts in the Sahel, with a view to developing innovative solutions to tackle the challenges.

The First Annual NAN Lecture was attended by key national and international stakeholders, including former head of state, General Abdulsalam Abubakar as chairman of the occasion, and Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, as guest speaker.

President Bola Tinubu, who was guest of honour at the event, was represented by the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu.

Other dignitaries present were the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa; Governor of Katsina State, Alhaji Umar Dikko Radda; Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, and the Minister of Steel Development, Alhaji Shuaibu Abubakar.