The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has raised alarm over the escalating threat posed by hunger and poverty, asserting that they have evolved beyond social and economic concerns to become pressing national security challenges.
General Musa made this assertion on Monday during the opening ceremony of the 14th National Security Seminar held in Abuja. The seminar was organised by the Alumni Association of the National Defence College (AANDEC), in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the National Defence College (NDC). The theme of this year’s seminar was “Combating Hunger and Poverty for Sustainable Peace and Development in Nigeria.”
Speaking through his representative, the Chief of Defence Training, Rear Admiral Ibrahim Shetimma, the CDS emphasised the urgent need for a unified and strategic national approach to combat hunger and poverty.
According to him, these issues are increasingly undermining Nigeria’s internal stability, disrupting communities, and contributing to widespread insecurity.
“Insecurity today is not solely measured by the presence of arms and conflict. Economic deprivation, food insecurity, and social dislocation now play equally destabilizing roles,” he noted.
Highlighting the deteriorating situation in the North Central region—especially Benue State, once regarded as Nigeria’s food basket—General Musa described how banditry, farmer-herder conflicts, and mass displacement have crippled agricultural productivity.
The illegal occupation of farmlands and the displacement of rural farming communities, he said, have resulted in food inflation, widespread migration, and economic instability, all of which are undermining national cohesion.
The CDS warned that continued neglect of these underlying socio-economic issues would only deepen Nigeria’s security crisis. He, therefore, called for coordinated investments in grassroots agricultural development and food systems. He also advocated for restoring dignity to farming by improving rural infrastructure, access to credit, and market opportunities.
“We must reposition agriculture not as a fallback option for the desperate, but as a national duty and a noble profession,” Musa urged.
“The migration of young people from rural to urban areas has reduced our agricultural output. Reversing this trend is critical for long-term security and food sustainability.”
He also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, especially its focus on granting financial autonomy to local governments, which he described as crucial to enabling community-driven solutions and enhancing local governance.
On the role of citizens, General Musa appealed to communities to actively support security agencies by participating in intelligence gathering, early warning systems, and vigilant community monitoring. He reiterated the commitment of the Armed Forces of Nigeria to working with other security agencies and citizens to tackle all forms of insecurity.
“We envision a Nigeria where all citizens live in peace, pursue productive livelihoods, and enjoy the full benefits of democracy,” he affirmed.
In his own remarks, President of the Alumni Association of the National Defence College (AANDEC), retired Air Commodore Darlington Abdullahi, reinforced the central theme of the seminar by calling attention to the structural causes of insecurity. He argued that hunger and poverty must be treated not merely as humanitarian concerns but as core strategic threats to Nigeria’s national stability.
Quoting an age-old adage—“The children of the poor you fail to train will never allow your children to sleep in peace”—Abdullahi stressed that neglecting the socio-economic needs of citizens lays a dangerous foundation for extremism, crime, and unrest.
“When millions of Nigerians go to bed hungry, or are trapped in poverty, they become easy targets for recruitment by those with malicious intent,” he warned.
“Investments in education, livelihood development, and economic empowerment are not optional; they are national imperatives.”
Abdullahi called for robust, non-kinetic security responses such as inclusive economic policies and targeted development interventions. He emphasized that peacebuilding must begin with empowering the people, particularly through initiatives that bridge economic divides and foster community resilience.
Furthermore, he proposed the establishment of a Vocational and Leadership Development Centre dedicated to the widows and children of Nigeria’s fallen heroes. According to him, such a centre would serve not only as a gesture of national gratitude but as a meaningful effort toward healing, empowerment, and the prevention of intergenerational poverty.
The AANDEC president also praised the members of the association—comprising retired military officers and senior public servants—for their ongoing commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s peace, unity, and development, even after active service.