Former President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and Africa’s wealthiest businessman, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, on Saturday, October 17, called on the Federal Government to prioritize youth employment and non-kinetic strategies as vital tools for addressing terrorism and widespread insecurity across Nigeria.
Speaking in Abuja at the public presentation and book launch of “Beyond the Uniform: Policing Terrorism in a Democracy,” authored by former Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Abubakar, the leaders stressed that social development and economic empowerment must form the bedrock of the nation’s national security framework.
Former President Jonathan, who was represented at the event by his former Chief of Staff, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe, urged the government to review and reactivate key social intervention programs established under his administration. Specifically, he highlighted the Almajiri Education Programme and the Great Green Wall Project as critical initiatives designed to lift vulnerable populations out of poverty and curb violent extremism.
“The Almajiri education program was designed to equip out-of-school children with functional vocational skills alongside formal education, effectively removing them from criminal recruitment pipelines,” Oghiadomhe said on behalf of the former president. “Similarly, the Great Green Wall was aimed at arresting desertification, boosting agricultural yield, and generating hundreds of thousands of jobs for young Nigerians across the northern front line.”
In his remarks, Alhaji Aliko Dangote emphasized that the economic cost of fighting terrorism through military operations far outweighs the investment required to create sustainable jobs. He noted that sustained job creation remains the most potent non-kinetic defense against insurgency, as economic inclusion deprives extremist groups of willing recruits.
The author of the book, former IGP Mohammed Abubakar, warned against heavy-handed security tactics that treat entire communities as suspects during counterterrorism operations.
He asserted that democratic institutions, including the judiciary, the legislature, and civil society, must serve as vital guardrails to prevent counter-insurgency measures from degenerating into state oppression.
The event drew a wide array of prominent political, traditional, and security figures, including Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, former Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki, Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu, former National Security Adviser Gen. Aliyu Gusau (Rtd), Senator Ireti Kingibe, former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III.
