Security experts and community leaders in Jigawa State are calling for urgent and coordinated action to address violent extremism, warning that social neglect, poverty, and recurring farmer–herder clashes continue to fuel insecurity across Northern Nigeria.
At a one-day stakeholder dialogue on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism, participants advised parents, religious leaders, and government agencies to take decisive steps to curb the triggers of insecurity, especially communal violence and deepening poverty.
The dialogue, with the theme “Co-Creating State and Local Action Plans on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism,” identified social violence and negligence as major drivers of the recent resurgence of attacks in several parts of the country.
Chairperson of the PAVE Network in Jigawa State, Musbahu Basirka, said the state’s proximity to Katsina, Kano, and the Niger Republic makes it vulnerable to cross-border crime, arms trafficking, and extremist recruitment.
He urged government and security agencies to double their efforts, improve intelligence sharing, and speed up judicial processes to reduce pre-trial detention that often fuels grievances.
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Experts at the meeting highlighted six major approaches for reducing violent extremism nationwide:
Strengthening Security and Rule of Law, Economic and Social Development, Inclusive Governance, Counter-Narrative and Education.
Stakeholders say the fight against violent extremism will only succeed when security, economic opportunity, and community trust work together.
They urge government at all levels to adopt practical measures that protect lives, strengthen institutions, and restore peace, warning that failure to act could deepen the crisis across Northern Nigeria.
