Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has identified illiteracy and poverty as major factors fueling the persistent insecurity across Nigeria, stressing that quality education remains a long-term solution to the country’s security challenges.
The governor said insecurity in Nigeria has reached unprecedented levels, citing Boko Haram insurgency, banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, and farmer-herder clashes that have resulted in deaths and widespread destruction of property.
Alia made the remarks on Thursday while delivering a lecture titled “Insecurity and Education in Nigeria and the Quest for Development” at the Quarterly Lecture Series of Yakubu Gowon University, Abuja, formerly known as the University of Abuja.
According to him, the major drivers of insecurity include illiteracy, poverty, unemployment, inequality, weak institutions, ethno-religious tensions, poor governance, and declining social values.
“Through efficient and effective public service delivery, we can build stronger and more resilient communities, foster economic growth, and promote social cohesion,” Alia said.
He advocated stronger public institutions and improved public service delivery as critical steps toward addressing the nation’s security problems.
The governor further emphasized the need for inclusive, equitable, and quality education, lifelong learning opportunities, technical skills development, teacher training, and safe learning environments.
“Education, when intentionally employed, will always serve as a foundational, long-term model for combating insecurity in Nigeria by addressing its root causes such as illiteracy, ignorance, poverty, religious extremism, and unemployment,” he stated.
Alia argued that accessible, compulsory, and functional education would foster social cohesion, religious tolerance, and economic empowerment more effectively than force or threats.
He also called for continued reforms in the education sector and constitutional amendments, including the establishment of state police, to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture and promote sustainable national development.
In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University, Prof. Hakeem Awehinmi, thanked the governor for serving as the inaugural guest lecturer on the platform and described the presentation as a valuable contribution to scholarship and policy discourse.