By joshua NIGERIA AT 65: A CALL FOR SOBER REFLECTION AND RENEWED HOPE – CHRCR
PRESS RELEASE
NIGERIA AT 65: A CALL FOR SOBER REFLECTION
As Nigeria celebrates 65 years of independence as a nation, it comes with mixed feelings. Certainly, where we were at independence is not where we are today, and where we are today is not where we want to be. 65 years is a long journey in nation building, however, to have remained as one nation despite tribulations, challenges and the complexities of nation building, Nigeria has cause to celebrate at 65.
The current challenges facing Nigeria today are worrisome. They range from insecurity, corruption, poverty, economic deprivation, unemployment, inflation, lack of youth participation in leadership and governance and several others. But Nigeria has cause to celebrate improved democracy, as we now have the opportunity to elect our leaders and representatives at both national and sub-national levels every four years, which calls for improvement and sustainability.
The tragedy of these times is that those who plunged this nation into so much needless stress have shown no remorse whatsoever for their actions. For several years, they have systematically planted landmines on our path to greatness. Ethnic landmines, religious landmines, induced inter and intra-party strife, arm-twisting of the legislature and threat of banana peels, refusal to obey court orders, not to talk of economic ruination of the common man and market women. I fear that the atmosphere is so polluted with spite, personal interest, untruths, distrust, pretense and vengeful intents, that even if every Nigerian resolved today to work with all the dedication possible to ensure a safe passage, the road to greatness will still be extremely difficult to traverse. Therefore, we need to be vigilant, alert and ready to frustrate every evil plot.
We also have recorded some improvement in infrastructural development and unity of purpose as a nation. As a developing nation, a lot still needs to be done to improve our development pattern, economically and politically. We need to do a lot in our industrial development that can facilitate employment for young Nigerians.
There is also improvement in the establishment of educational institutions at both national and sub-national levels, public and private, despite its outrageous financial implications.
We call on the Federal and State Governments to work assiduously on the issue of insecurity. Violent extremism in Nigeria is often fueled by political and economic factors such as governance failure, corruption, inequality and lack of opportunities, all of which create conditions conducive to radicalization. Perceived political exclusion, unemployment and poverty make individuals vulnerable to extremist narratives that exploit social and economic grievances. Additionally, weak institutions and poor service delivery enable extremism to thrive.
Nigeria’s response to violent extremism remains fragmented and uneven. These interventions, while valuable in their own rights, often operate in silos, lacking the strategic coordination, shared data system and unified policy direction necessary for sustained impact.
One of the most persistent challenges undermining the effectiveness of Nigeria’s response to violent extremism is the lack of strategic coordination among Federal, State and Local actors. While each level of government plays a critical role in security and peacebuilding, their efforts are often disconnected, duplicative or misaligned, resulting in fragmented intervention and missed opportunities for synergy. Nigeria has witnessed a growth in the number of both statutory and non-statutory security agencies across all levels of government.
*National Integration of PCVE Strategies:* To effectively counter the evolving threat of violent extremism across Nigeria, it is imperative to align the efforts of Federal, State and Local Governments under a unified, coherent framework that promotes consistency, accountability and shared objectives. Fragmented interventions where each tier of government operates in isolation have led to duplication of effort, policy contradictions and inefficient resource utilization. A harmonized approach ensures that all actors are working toward a common vision, with clearly defined roles and measurable outcomes.
*We call on the Federal Government through the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), and particularly the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to as a matter of urgency approve and present to the public the validated improved Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism Policy Document validated in the last one year, facilitated and coordinated by the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), to enable sub-nationals to develop their own Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism Policies.*
The Nigerian Constitution does not give us the luxury of choosing between rights and security. It commands us to pursue both. Security without welfare is brittle; welfare without security is fragile. The duty of our generation, in civil society, organized labour, government and the general citizenry, is to insist that rights are not paper promises but living guarantees. That is how the Republic can be stabilized, and that is the only way we make citizenship meaningful for every Nigerian.
As the 2027 general elections approach, we need to reflect on our democratic journey as a nation. We call on political parties, their candidates, supporters and voters across the country to play by the rules and respect the choice of individuals and groups to enhance peaceful and credible elections, as Nigeria cannot afford to fail in its democracy journey at 65.
Happy Independence to Nigeria at 65.
_Signed:_
Idris Miliki Abdul,
Executive Director,
Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR),
Lokoja, Kogi State – Nigeria