Kaduna Governor Links Poverty, Unemployment to Northern Insecurity Crisis

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has identified widespread poverty and unemployment as the primary drivers of insecurity in Northern Nigeria. Speaking at a book presentation, Governor Sani argued that the absence of schools, hospitals, and commercial opportunities in rural communities is fueling criminal activities, and he urged political leaders to take direct responsibility for resolving the crisis.

During the public event for the book, ”Where I Stand,” written by the late Sheikh Abubakar Mahmud Gumi, the governor advised the opposition against politicizing insecurity. He cautioned that a purely military approach to tackling banditry is a political illusion, as a lasting solution cannot be achieved through the use of firearms alone.

According to Governor Sani, the insecurity plaguing the North-West is fundamentally different from the ideologically driven Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East. He stressed that a lack of development and neglect of rural communities are at the heart of the banditry problem. He also highlighted the alarming decline in Nigeria’s security manpower over the past 45 years. While the national population has grown by over 100 million, the number of soldiers has decreased from approximately 300,000 in 1970 to less than 250,000 today.

Governor Sani lamented the almost complete absence of security personnel in vast areas of the North-West. He noted that in places like Zamfara, Birnin Gwari, or the forests of Katsina, one could travel for dozens of kilometers without encountering a single security officer. He then championed the Kaduna Peace Model, a community-led, non-kinetic (non-military) approach initiated by local stakeholders, including traditional and religious leaders, as the way forward.

He cited the Emir of Birnin Gwari as a key figure in this successful peace initiative, noting that the model’s success came from spending six months to truly understand the root causes of the insecurity. The governor concluded by urging fellow leaders to accept their duty to protect the people, stating that relying on President Tinubu or National Security Adviser Ribadu to solve local problems is a form of deception.