Nigeria's weak economy and joblessness are pushing young people into banditry and crime, according to Dr. Joseph Ochogwu.
The Director General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution made this assertion during a Tuesday visit to Media Trust Group in Abuja.
Ochogwu said the country's declining productive capacity has left millions of youths without work. "Our productive capacity is weak," he noted at the headquarters.
He painted a picture of idleness across Nigeria's communities. "If you travel across the nooks and crannies of this country, you will see youths without engagement," Ochogwu told reporters.
Years ago, these young people were engaged in farming and other productive work. Today, many sit idle with no meaningful occupation.
"Those energies are now being diverted into crime," the IPCR chief explained. "They are moving from production to criminality, illicit mining, banditry and other forms of crime."
Addressing insecurity requires tackling its economic roots, not just military responses. Ochogwu stressed that security forces alone cannot solve the problem without strengthening production sectors.
He warned that conditions could deteriorate rapidly without urgent action. Absorbing unemployed youths into productive activities remains critical to stemming the tide.
Ochogwu also blamed weak local government structures for fueling conflicts nationwide. "Governance is local.
Peace is local. Conflict is local," he stressed.
Until Nigeria fixes its grassroots administration, broader efforts will fail, according to him. Poor education and healthcare services at community levels compound the crisis.
Research exists showing what drives insecurity, yet policymakers aren't implementing these findings. Ochogwu identified this gap between evidence and action as another major obstacle.
Hamza Idris, the Deputy Editorial Director of Daily Trust, responded on behalf of the organisation's leadership. He said the media company supports efforts to combat insecurity and promote development.
Media Trust recognises that unemployment fuels criminal recruitment, Idris told the gathering. "Once citizens are gainfully employed, the tendency of them being taken away by bandits and other criminal elements will reduce," he noted.
Idris pledged the organisation's backing for initiatives targeting insecurity drivers across Nigeria. The group intends to partner with institutions working on these critical national challenges.
