Tackle insecurity with grassroots information, says forum
A forum organized by a non-governmental organization, Live Abundantly, has said the rising insecurity level in the country can be curbed if government and intelligence agencies take advantage of information made available at the community level.
This was the conclusion of the podcast meeting called, “Thinking reimagined”, organized by the NGO to mark the International Youth Day 2021.
The podcast was anchored by Nifemi Oguntoye, a broadcast journalist at TVC News.
Some of the issues discussed included the migration of Nigerian youths to foreign countries, the increasing poverty level in Nigeria, the impact of the 2020 #EndSARS protest on the psyche of Nigerian youths, as well as the rising level of insecurity and its impact on Nigerians.
Speaking on the World Bank report indicating that 50% of Nigerian youths are bent on leaving the country, Afoluge said some of the factors responsible were political and economic instability, which forced some Nigerians to go through unsafe channels just to leave the country.
In her speech, Kareem said, “Nigeria has been dysfunctional for a long time. We had hope, but the system in Nigeria literally forces you cack into a cycle”.
On increasing poverty in the country. Afoluge said the lack of opportunity was to blame as only a few were privileged, adding that poverty was not the absence of money but the absence of opportunities.
Responding to a question on the likely solution to the rising insecurity, Kareem stated, “One of the ways of fighting insecurity in the country is by building community units that defend their own communities and provide information to law enforcement agents.
There is a goldmine of information that the government and intelligence agencies are not taking advantage of”.
Ayodele said the EndSARS protest in 2020 was an eye opener for her on what youths could achieve.
“I participated in the EndSARS protest and i think it was one of the highlights of the year 2020 for me. That was a moment of awakening for Nigerian youths because we arose with one voice demanding for action, calling out government stakeholders and demanding justice for victims of police brutality”, she said.
Also, Ayodele noted that crisis in the country affected mainly women and girls.
“Farmers and local business owners are scared to carry out their businesses. This is one of the major reasons why youths have decided to leave the country”, Ayodele said.
