Nigeria seeks coordinated action to address security and displacement

Nigerian officials are calling for coordinated national and international strategies to address the country’s complex security and displacement challenges. Senator Barau I. Jibrin, Deputy President of the Senate, emphasized the need for a comprehensive response that integrates security, justice, climate adaptation, and economic empowerment to mitigate farmer-herder conflicts and internal displacement.

Reports indicate significant displacement figures, with over 2.2 million internally displaced persons in the North-East and more than 1.3 million in the North-Central and North-West regions as of early 2025. These conflicts are driven by competition over shrinking land and water resources, climate variability, and the proliferation of firearms, often intersecting with banditry and organized crime.

In a separate address at the United Nations General Assembly, Minister of Defence General Christopher Gwabin Musa called for stronger global partnerships to tackle security threats in Nigeria and the wider Sahel region. He noted that modern threats are multidimensional and require collective action. Under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, Nigeria is implementing measures such as recruiting 22,000 additional military personnel, reorganizing army structures, and working toward establishing state police and unified intelligence programs.