The North, existential Threats, national security, by Lt Gen (Rtd) Abdulrahman B. Dambazau PhD CFR (Baraden Kano)
This topic is critical not only to the people of Northern Nigeria but also to the entire nation, as it directly impacts our collective security, stability, and prosperity. Northern Nigeria is a vital pillar of national identity and stability.
Its rich cultural diversity and vast economic potential are assets to the entire country.
However, the region faces significant existential threats that, if unaddressed, could destabilise both the North and Nigeria at large.
We must face these challenges head-on and speak honestly to ourselves without sugarcoating or embellishment. As the saying goes, “truth is bitter.” It is time to accept the hard realities and
awaken from complacency.
The North is currently under scrutiny,
with accusations of “Christian genocide” circulating nationally
and internationally. Meanwhile, there has been a deafening
silence from the northern leadership regarding the killings of
Muslims during prayers in mosques across Borno, Katsina, and
Zamfara, an issue persisting for over two decades, from the
assassination of Sheikh Jafar Adam in 2007 to the recent incidents.
Our reluctance to question these tragedies raises uncomfortable
questions about their perpetrators’ motivations. Will Muslims
murder fellow Muslims while praying in a mosque? It is very easy
for anyone to say “Allahu Akbar” while carrying out such dastardly
acts of murder.
However, this is not the issue that brought us here
today, but it is worth reflecting on.
Trump’s threat to land American boots on Nigeria’s territory to
tackle violent non-state actors shows our incapacity to tackle it on our own, as this problem has lingered for nearly two decades. We have reached a situation whereby the insurgents and bandits call the shots by physically occupying communities, collecting taxes from the people, making laws for them, and coercing them into
signing agreements. They move around branding high-caliber
weapons and ammunitions while the people remain helpless. All our rural communities are vulnerable and at the mercy of violent criminals. Their violence must be tamed and contained, but because Trump’s resolve to intervene is for the non-existent “Christian genocide,” we would have welcomed it, even though we are aware that America does not give a free lunch.
The North has suffered and endured violence from non-state actors, resulting in the loss of life, displacement, and destruction of livelihoods. Insurgency, banditry, cattle rustling, kidnapping, and herder-farmer conflicts have generated widespread fear, restricted movement, and triggered humanitarian crises, including the denial of education and worsening food insecurity.
What began as terrorism in the northeast has now spread to the northwest and north-central regions. Beneath these immediate threats lie deeper issues, such as poverty, inadequate healthcare, religious extremism, and the erosion of family and societal values, which are the root causes of insecurity in the North.
When discussing existential threats in northern Nigeria, we immediately think of insurgency, banditry, cattle rustling, kidnapping, and herder-farmer clashes. These are not abstract dangers; they have tangible and devastating effects. They instill fear,restrict freedom, claim lives, and destroy property. Thousandshave been killed or wounded, and millions have been displaced.
READ ALSO: Yobe youth, Abdulrahman Saidu, breaks World Record for most headshots in one hour
Children are kept from school due to the threat of abduction, and farmers are unable to tend to their fields. Herders have had their
cattle rustled and their communities destroyed. The number of widows and orphans has soared. These threats rob us of our freedom from fear and have persisted for more than two decades.
However, underlying these are even more profound existential threats, root causes, triggers, and drivers of insurgency, terrorism, cattle rustling, and banditry that demand our attention. Our focus must shift to these foundational threats, which nurture criminal violence and extremism.
They are unseen forces that allow insecurities to flourish. Poverty is a prime example: of the 90 million Nigerians living in extreme poverty, 63% are from the North.
Over 70% of those experiencing multidimensional poverty are from this region. These underground existential threats are not only killing people, but they are also destroying Northern Nigeria.
Healthcare is another critical issue. Nigeria accounts for over 29% of global maternal deaths, with an estimated 75,000 women dying in childbirth annually. In the North, maternal mortality exceeds 1,000 deaths per 100,000 live births, far above the national average.
Factors such as weak health infrastructure, limited access, poverty, illiteracy, and conflict exacerbate the crisis. Infant mortality is also alarmingly high, particularly in the northwest and northeast, due to poor healthcare access and low levels of maternal education.
Religious extremism and intolerance are among the gravest existential threats to Northern Nigeria. While the constitution guarantees freedom of religion, the proliferation of unqualified clerics has led to intra- and inter-religious rivalry and enmity.
READ ALSO: Boko Haram, ISWAP unleash renewed raids on communities in Borno, Yobe
Through radical preaching, clerics have sown division and hatred, culminating in the rise of groups like Boko Haram, who exploit ignorance to recruit followers for violent acts of terrorism.
Religious clerics hurl insults at each other while condemning themselves to hell, as if they hold the keys to hell’s gate. Through their preaching, they radicalise their followers and create hatred in their minds.
The erosion of family and societal values further undermines social cohesion. Values such as respect, honesty, integrity, truthfulness, courage, patriotism, responsibility, loyalty, and hard work have diminished. The collapse of these values is a major driver of insecurity in Nigeria. Upholding these values will not only promote and reinforce building a cohesive and resilient society but also foster trust, cooperation, and social harmony, which are essential for maintaining security and preventing conflict. Youth, influenced by social media, often disregard elders and traditional norms, while parents neglect their responsibilities.
The politicisation of traditional institutions has weakened their authority, and instability in key emirates, such as Kano, threatens the entire region. Today, the Northern Traditional Rulers Council, which meets to address regional issues such as insecurity, peace, and stability, sits with an empty chair representing the Kano
Emirate. Kano not only hosts the largest population in the region but is also a major centre of commerce. It is the fourth in the order of protocol in the Council and is a major Islamic centre in Nigeria.
We cannot continue to ignore this politically induced crisis, which has caused divisions and further reduced the significance of northern traditional institutions. Traditional rulers, once custodians of societal values, are losing their influence, and with them, the fabric of northern society is unraveling.
When the population is not developed as human capital, it becomes a burden. The lack of investment in education, skills, and healthcare in Northern Nigeria has left its large youth population vulnerable.
The region has one of the world’s highest rates of outof-school children, with over 10 million children not attending school. Poverty and lack of education make young people susceptible to recruitment by terrorists and bandits. Youth unemployment fuels crime, drug abuse, and other social vices.
Drug abuse, while more prevalent in the South, is a growing concern in the North and is cited as a major factor accelerating the conflict.
Climate change has hit the North hardest, bringing higher temperatures, droughts, erratic rainfall and desertification. These environmental changes reduce agricultural productivity, worsen food insecurity, and increase the scarcity of water. Extreme weather events and health issues are increasing, exacerbated by displacement and conflict. The resulting resource-based conflicts, especially between herders and farmers, are often mischaracterised as ethnic or religious disputes, leading to violence, cattle rustling and displacement. They have resulted in killings and reprisals, cattle rustling, community displacement, and forced migration.
READ ALSO: Killings: Tinubu urges Benue, Nasarawa governments to constitute peace c’ttee
A significant obstacle is our reluctance to accept reality and to seek solutions. For example, delayed rainfall is often attributed to divine collective punishment rather than recognising leadership
failures in agricultural investment. If delayed rainfall is divine punishment for the sins we committed, how do we attribute thecomplete absence of rainfall in Saudi Arabia, the custodian of the two holy mosques? Egypt, with far less rainfall than Northern Nigeria, has achieved food security through effective irrigation using the Nile River and agricultural innovation. Northern Nigeria is blessed with abundance water resources, yet underutilisation and poor maintenance of irrigation infrastructure hinder agricultural productivity. For example, I am not sure if past Kano state governments have done anything to add value to the irrigation scheme that late Governor Audu Bako implemented in the 1970s.
Governors can also encourage the use of greenhouses and other methods of controlled farming without waiting for annual rainfall.
Our leaders must invest in agricultural infrastructure and modern farming techniques to harness these opportunities.
Despite having approximately 34 million hectares of arable land, which is over half the region’s area, only a fraction is cultivated due to outdated farming methods, lack of irrigation, climate impacts, and insecurity. The North, Nigeria’s food basket, faces food insecurity, underscoring the need for mechanisation, improved seed, and technology. Political leaders must invest in agriculture, promote large-scale production, and aim for both domestic consumption and exports. This will reduce poverty, unemployment, and conflict, making it harder for violent groups to recruit and curb social vices.
There is a threat to Nigeria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, exemplified by US threats over allegations of “Christian genocide.”
This may be linked to the global competition for Africa’s resources, with Nigeria’s rare earth elements attracting international interest.
There seems to be a second wave of the scramble for Africa among global powers, and Nigeria has become a “Country of Particular Interest” due to its huge reserves of Rare Earth Elements. The global quest for critical minerals is intensifying, and at its heart lies the surging demand for rare earth elements (REE). The 17 indispensable elements are the lifeblood of modern technology, powering everything from smartphones and electric vehicles to wind turbines and advanced defence systems. Northern Nigeria is rich in minerals, oil, and gas, yet illegal mining thrives due to neglect.
Furthermore, all but one of the 13 states in Nigeria with proven huge reserves of these Rare Earth Elements (REE) are in the North, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS), which highlighted Nigeria’s impressive reserves of the major REE, monazite ore, estimated to be approximately six million tons, making Nigeria a potential major player. I pray that as soon as the governors get back to their states, they should establish the ministry of minerals resources to compliment the relevant federal government ministry in managing the resources in their respective states. I am aware that solid minerals are under the exclusive list, but the states have the power to invite investors and facilitate mining licenses, through which additional revenue will be realised.
Human trafficking and modern slavery, including child abduction, are serious security threats. While southerners are trafficked to Europe, northerners are often trafficked to the Middle East and Asia, where they face exploitation and abuse. Within Nigeria,
northern adults are trafficked to the south and forced to beg. This
exploitation is fueled by poverty and neglect. Children are stolen
from the north and taken to the southeast, where their identities
are completely changed. Almajiranci involves child trafficking and
modern-day slavery. We must stop the trafficking of vulnerable
northerners by people who take advantage of their poverty status,
as well as parental negligence.
READ ALSO: How captured Igbo people chose mass suicide by drowning instead of submitting to slavery
What should follow this summit is the question. We must ensure
that this gathering does not become just another talk shop.
Therefore, urgent action is required. While governors may lack
direct control over security forces, they have authority over
developmental resources and a mandate from the people to use
such resources for public good. Education and healthcare,
especially at the primary and secondary levels, are their
constitutional responsibilities. Addressing illiteracy, hunger,
disease, and environmental challenges requires good governance
rather than force. Proper use of federal allocations and IGRs can drive development, reduce poverty and unemployment, and close the North-South gap. This demands patriotism, honesty, and
integrity from the leaders of the North, particularly those elected by the people. Leadership is a trust, and leaders must strive to leave a lasting legacy.
We must move beyond rhetoric to evidence-based intervention.
Policymakers should prioritise transparent leadership, effective
use of federal allocations, investment in human capital, expanding access to quality education and healthcare, and addressing youth unemployment through skills and job creation.
Social cohesion should be promoted through positive values, interfaith dialogue, and community engagement while restoring the integrity of traditional institutions. Security and justice must be enhanced by improving coordination between agencies and addressing the root causes of insecurity through inclusive, equitable development.
Agriculture remains the North’s strength and should be boosted through investment in modern techniques and infrastructure development. Legal frameworks must be strengthened to protect vulnerable populations from human trafficking. Addressing existential threats in the North requires a comprehensive approach that combines governance, social investment, and security reform. The future of Northern Nigeria depends on decisive action.
Thank you
Follow the Neptune Prime channel on WhatsApp:
Do you have breaking news, interview request, opinion, suggestion, or want your event covered? Email us at neptuneprime2233@gmail.com
