Special Report By MAHMOUD, Palace Correspondent
Emir of Kano, Khalifa Muhammadu Sanusi II, has sparked heated debate among Nigerians after stating that relying on military force alone cannot solve the country’s insecurity problem.
In a compelling address as Special Guest of Honor at the National Summit on Peace and Security held in Abuja on Monday, the Emir said that unless hunger, poverty, and injustice are tackled, if not the country will continue to go round in circles of violence.
The Emir delivered a lecture titled “Human Security Is National Security,” where he explained that security is not just about guns and bombs.
According to him, human security includes access to food, jobs, education, healthcare, and dignity.
He said that as long as millions of Nigerians live in extreme poverty, every victory the military records in the bush will collapse again in the cities because new youths will keep joining violent groups.
He highlighted regional differences in the causes of the problem. In the Northeast, the Emir said poverty and years of Boko Haram insurgency have destroyed people’s livelihoods.
In the Northwest, he linked the rise in kidnapping and banditry to poor governance, hunger, and lack of jobs for young people. “This analysis drew the attention of participants at the summit, including security officials” he said.
On the North Central region, Khalifa Sanusi said the escalating farmer-herder clashes did not come from nowhere.
He attributed them to climate change and the scarcity of land and water, which force people to fight over resources.
He added that if the government does not invest in water, modern livestock farming, and agriculture, the bloodshed recorded every year will continue.
In the Southeast and the Niger Delta, the Emir expressed frustration over how young people feel excluded from the country’s wealth.
He said unemployment, injustice, and failed leadership are what push some to take up arms. In his view, there can be no talk of lasting peace while people feel they have no stake in their own country.
The Emir stressed that economic development and the well-being of citizens are the real pillars of security.
He urged the government to stop seeing security only as a matter of buying weapons, and instead turn to investing in education, healthcare, agriculture, and job creation.
He said every naira spent fighting hunger and illiteracy will do more to guarantee peace than any gun.
The summit was attended by prominent figures from across the country. Among them were former Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Muhammad Babandede, and the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President who represented Vice President Kashim Shettima. Governors, heads of security agencies, and other distinguished guests were also present. Their attendance shows that the government wants to hear traditional perspectives on how to solve the problem.
In the end, the Emir of Kano’s speech left many people with one question: will the government listen and change its usual approach to fighting insecurity? Or will it continue spending billions on the military while the root causes keep growing? Khalifa Sanusi’s remarks have opened a new chapter in the debate over whether national security begins in the bush, or in the homes of people who are hungry.
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