From Molly Kilete, Abuja
Former President Goodluck Jonathan and Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, have called for greater investment in job creation and social development as part of efforts to tackle terrorism and other forms of insecurity in Nigeria.
Jonathan urged the Federal Government to revisit the Almajiri schools initiative and the Great Green Wall project introduced during his administration, while Dangote said employment generation and economic growth were essential to complement military operations against terrorism and banditry.
The duo spoke at the public presentation of the book “Beyond the Bullets: Policing Terrorism in a Democratic System” written by a former Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, in Abuja.
Represented by his former Chief of Staff, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe, the former president said that the Almajiri schools programme was designed to equip young people with skills beyond religious education and enable them to contribute to national development.
He said: “My administration engaged in the establishment of Almajiri schools, aimed at providing skills to millions of youth population beyond religious education only,”.
Jonathan, while noting that the initiative was intended to help young people earn a living and reduce the number of youths available for recruitment into violent crime, further stated that the Great Green Wall project had the potential to address desertification, support agriculture and create employment.
He said: “We also engaged in the Great Green Wall project, which, apart from arresting desertification, making more fertile land available for crop farming and animal husbandry, had the potential of providing employment for hundreds of thousands,”.
Jonathan, while urging the government to revisit both programmes, said: “I therefore use this opportunity to call on government to revisit and review these programmes.”
The former president described terrorism as a continuing national and global challenge that required sustained commitment and cooperation across successive administrations.
“The fight against terrorism is not the responsibility of one administration or the other. It is a continuing national and global challenge that requires sustained commitment, institutional learning and cooperation across successive governments and generations,” he said.
For his part, Dangote called on the government and private sector to work together to create jobs and stimulate economic growth, arguing that military force alone could not eliminate terrorism.
He said: “If you don’t create jobs, it’s difficult to fight terrorism and get it out of the way,”.
The industrialist said entrepreneurs had a responsibility to partner with the government by investing in businesses that could generate employment and prosperity.
“On our own side as entrepreneurs, we have to partner with government, create jobs, create growth, and also prosperity, and that will help when they are also fighting with force,” he said.
Dangote said combining economic opportunities with security operations could help Nigeria overcome terrorism, banditry and other forms of violent crime.
“If you use these two things, we will get rid of terrorism, banditry and the rest,” he said.
He cited the economic cost of the conflict in the North-East, saying a UNICEF report put the cumulative national economic loss at about $100bn since the conflict began.
“Personally, I believe when you look at the agricultural side of the country and other things, this is more than $100 billion by far,” he said.
Dangote, however, urged Nigerians to support efforts to address insecurity rather than leave the responsibility to the government alone.
“Fighting terrorism is not only for government alone, it’s our collective responsibility,” he said.
He added: “What we need to do is to join hands with the government in fighting this menace, because it is collective responsibility on all of us.”
In his remarks, the former IGP, while noting that the fight against terrorism must not undermine democratic principles, human rights and the rule of law, said security agencies must protect citizens without treating entire communities as suspects, warning that discriminatory security policies could weaken public trust and undermine counterterrorism efforts.
He said: “The book insists on a vital point that I learned in service. Fighting terrorism should never mean treating the whole community as suspects,”.
Abubakar warned that excessive use of power could damage the relationship between security agencies and the communities they were meant to protect.
“When fear becomes policy, discrimination becomes security,” he said.
He also stressed that democratic institutions, including the courts, legislature, media and civil society, should not be regarded as obstacles to national security.
“They are the guard rails that prevent security from becoming domination,” he said.
The former police chief said effective counterterrorism required coordination among security agencies, intelligence gathering, accountability and respect for the law.
He added that justice remained central to democratic security, insisting that investigations must be credible, evidence tested and victims heard.
“Democracies must answer violence with process,” he said.
Abubakar said the central message of his book was that the fight against terrorism should combine effective security operations with fairness, accountability and respect for human dignity.
He said governments needed coordination, security agencies required adequate capability and funding, communities needed trust, courts needed evidence, and citizens deserved transparency.
The book examines the challenges of policing terrorism within a democratic system and the need to balance national security with constitutional safeguards.
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