Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has attributed Nigeria’s lingering security challenges, including the Boko Haram insurgency, to bad governance.
Dogara made this assertion while delivering a keynote address at the 2025 World Interfaith Harmony Week conference and awards in Ibadan. The event, themed “The Love of the Good, and the Love of the Neighbors,” brought together key national figures, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Ogun State Governor, Senator Gbenga Daniel, and representatives of major religious bodies.
Speaking through his representative, Timothy Golu, Dogara lamented that Nigeria has not learned significant lessons from past conflicts, particularly the 1966–1970 civil war. He expressed concern that the Boko Haram insurgency, which began in Borno State in 2009, has since evolved into a major international terrorist organization, resulting in the deaths of thousands and the displacement of over five million people.
He noted that Nigeria currently ranks as the sixth most terror-affected country globally, alongside Palestine, Myanmar, Syria, Mexico, and Brazil.
“We have had a number of crises since independence, the worst of which was the civil war from 1966 to 1970. It seems we didn’t learn much from that sordid episode, after all,” he stated.
Dogara further highlighted the rise of separatist and militant groups such as the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), the Niger Delta Frontier Force, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and the Oduduwa People’s Congress (OPC) as indicators of Nigeria’s failed nation-building efforts.
He also underscored the increasing threats posed by mass kidnappings, banditry, ethnic and religious clashes, and the long-standing farmer-herder crisis, which has displaced thousands and deepened ethnic and religious divisions.
“The future of peace, development, and progress is very possible but only if we take the risk and accept the responsibility of consciously creating it,” he asserted.
Dogara emphasized that leadership is central to resolving Nigeria’s security crises, stressing that only strong and accountable leadership can steer the country away from violence and instability.
“No society throughout history has ever risen above the level of its leadership. Sadly, when we abdicate our responsibility, all we have left is to cover up our weakness,” he said.
He called on national leaders to take responsibility for addressing the country’s security challenges, warning that failure to act decisively could lead to further instability.
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