The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and Chief of Defence Staff, (CDS) yesterday said that poverty and hunger are the catalysts fueling insecurity, violence and social disintegration in the country.
This came on a day President Bola Tinubu in Abuja, declared that Nigeria’s agricultural renaissance had begun as he commissioned 2,000 tractors for nationwide deployment, under the Renewed Hope Agricultural Mechanization scheme, to increase food production in the country.
According to both NSA AND CDS, the two challenges now constitute security threats to the country.
The NSA, however, said the government of President Bola Tinubu is tackling the challenge through prioritisation of agricultural reforms, social programmes, and security sector reforms to break the cycle.
Speaking at the 14th National Security Seminar organised by the Alumni Association of National Defence College in Abuja, Ribadu, who was represented by Major General PP Mala, Director, Defence Affairs,
“This year’s theme, “Combating Hunger and Poverty for Sustainable Peace and Development in Nigeria,” touched at the very heart of our national challenges
“Hunger and poverty are not merely social concerns; they are catalysts for insecurity, crime, violence, and social disintegration. These issues form a vicious cycle. Poverty leads to insecurity and insecurity, in turn, deepens poverty.
“Under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Federal Government has prioritised agricultural reforms, social investment programmes, and security sector interventions aimed at breaking this cycle.