LCCI, stakeholders proffer solutions to Nigeria’s security challenges

The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) and some stakeholders have proffered solutions critical to addressing Nigeria’s security challenges.

They made the recommendations at the LCCI 2022 Security Meets Business Dialogue Series on Tuesday in Lagos.

Dr Michael Olawale-Cole, President, LCCI said the conference was initiated to provide a platform for security agents, private sector operators, and members of the diplomatic community to find solutions to Nigeria’s security challenges.

He stated that the N2.29 trillion allocated to the defence and security sector showed the Federal Government’s commitment to making the country safer and more peaceful.

The LCCI President noted that enhanced peace could lead to considerable improvement in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth and employment, among others.

Olawale-Cole stressed that Nigeria  needed a collective and integrative security architecture involving the federal, state, and local governments.

This arrangement, he said, could produce a strong and coordinated presence of security personnel at all levels to ultimately assist in identifying criminals, their sponsors, and hideouts in the country.

He tasked government to tackle the root causes of insecurity such as high level of unemployment, drug abuse and poverty, to stem its degeneration into social disorder and economic instability.

“As we approach an election year, there is a need to step up enlightenment campaigns against political violence to reduce burden on security agencies as they contend with bandits, terrorists, and kidnappers across the country.

“There have been calls for open and frank dialogue as a critical factor in addressing the security challenges of the nation, using the media and stakeholders’ forums as a catalyst for cooperation among citizens to end the crises.

“We urge the government to sustain the needed funding for defence operations to equip the military with the most advanced weaponry and intelligence infrastructure.

“These should be supported by the heavy deployment of modern military intelligence technologies,” he said.

Mustapha was represented by Mr Andrew Adejoh, Permanent Secretary, Political and Economic Affairs, Office of the Secretary to the Government.

He reiterated government’s commitment to supporting initiatives aimed at complementing its efforts at combating insecurity.

The SGF noted that the current administration had reformed its security strategy to fight threats, which had reflected in the allocation for security budget over the last two years.

Mustapha, however, posited that money alone would not solve the problem and stressed the need to look at the processes and procedures to improve the country’s security architecture.

“The country has developed new polices which include community policing, national defence policy, policy on public safety and security and national cybersecurity strategy,” he said.

He said there was still need to do more on military architecture, with more training programmes among others.

Mustapha noted that one of the major problems faced in the early days of insecurity was the lack of collaboration and cooperation among the military, paramilitary and other agencies.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, acknowledged that the country currently faced security challenges affecting it in numerous ways.

Irabor, represented by Maj.-Gen. Adeyemi Yekini, Chief of Defence Training and Operations, listed some of the challenges to include insurgency, kidnapping, armed banditry, among others.

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Highlighting the efforts of the armed forces in fighting security threats, he said they had embarked on various strategic activities including partnering with other security agencies when necessary as well as other countries.

The Chief of Defence Staff, noting that the military could not combat these challenges alone, stressed the need for partnership with the private sector and individuals to achieve desired results.

Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, Founder, Juli Plc, said that the event presented an opportunity and access to a whole lot of information which would be documented and worked upon to improve the country.

He charged the business community to help the activities of security operatives to achieve the desired results by giving necessary assistance in kind or cash.

 

(NAN)