Nigeria’s worsening security crisis has led the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) to declare the situation a “state of war.” The forum is urging the federal government to prioritize national security as its most pressing emergency. This declaration was made in a communiqué issued after the Board of Trustees’ 38th meeting on Wednesday, which was signed by chairman Bashir Dalhatu. The ACF convened to evaluate the escalating violence across Nigeria, which has evolved from isolated incidents into a widespread threat to national stability.
During the meeting, participants examined the persistent violence affecting various regions, including the insurgency in the North-East, banditry and kidnappings in the North-West and North-Central, as well as recurring conflicts between farmers and herders. The forum concluded that these challenges have combined to create a dangerous and complex security environment that requires urgent and decisive action. The communiqué stated, “The scale, persistence, and human cost of the violence demand a fundamental shift in national priorities,” emphasizing that the crisis should no longer be viewed as just one of many governance issues but as the nation’s overriding emergency.
The ACF expressed deep concern over the human toll of the violence, noting that hundreds of thousands of Nigerians have been killed or displaced in states such as Borno, Plateau, Niger, and Kwara. The victims include members of the armed forces, including senior officers. The forum warned that families have been torn apart, livelihoods destroyed, and entire communities traumatized, leading to severe long-term social consequences if the trend continues. The economic impacts were also highlighted, particularly on agriculture, which remains the backbone of Nigeria’s northern economy. The group pointed out that farming activities have been significantly disrupted, contributing to food shortages, rising inflation, and the collapse of rural livelihoods. The communiqué stated, “Insecurity is now directly undermining Nigeria’s economy. The longer the crisis persists, the more expensive it becomes to fix.”
The ACF emphasized that redirecting national resources to address insecurity should not be viewed as a setback to development but as a necessary step toward achieving sustainable growth. It called on the government to adopt a “war-time approach,” which includes temporarily suspending or scaling down non-essential spending and reallocating resources toward resolving the security crisis. The forum asserted, “Extraordinary threats require extraordinary measures.”
Warning that Nigeria stands at a critical crossroads, the ACF stated that the escalating violence poses a serious threat to national unity and the country’s future. It urged the government to act with urgency and clarity by mobilizing all available resources and demonstrating strong leadership in tackling insecurity. The communiqué concluded that until Nigerians can live, travel, and work without fear—especially in rural communities—meaningful national development will remain out of reach.
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