From Our Correspondent
The UN Development Programme (UNDP), says Nigeria recorded an estimated 35,000 causalities of violent extremism (VE) between 2009 and 2023.
The Deputy Resident Representative (Programme), UNDP, Mr Lealem Dinku, said this at the inauguration of the Countering Violent Extremism Course, organised by the Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peacekeeping Centre (MLAILPCK)
TheNewsZenith reports that UNDP Team Lead, Governance, Peace and Security, Mr Matthew Alao, represented Dinku at the two-week training course, on Monday in Abuja.
Dinku said the government had lost billions of dollars via loss of lives, destruction of public infrastructures and disruption of socio-economic activities.
“Nigeria is still grappling with the menace of VE and its attendant socio-economic implications to date,” he said.
Dinku also attributed the persistence of violence in some West African countries since the 1960s to economic challenges.
Other factors, he noted are effect of climate change, ineffective governance and growing ungoverned spaces.
He explained that prevalence and persistent violent extremism in ECOWAS had continued to create difficult environment for human survival.
It stiffens good governance and the widespread impact of raving climate change.
According to him, VE has significantly heightened casualties of inhabitants, displacement, socio-economic disruptions and destruction of infrastructures in West Africa.
“Violent extremism has continued to be ingrained in scope and impact since creeping into Nigeria’s geographical space in 2009.
“But it has been more pronounced since 2013.
“Between 2009 and 2023, Nigeria has suffered no less than 35,000 causalities while billions of dollars have been lost due to destruction of public infrastructures, disruption of socio-economic activities including livelihoods and displacement of mass population.
“Nigeria is still grappling with the menace of VE and its attendant socio-economic implications till moment,” he said.
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Dinku said the Nigerian Government, in collaboration with the Governments of ECOWAS and technical and financial assistance from the development partners, had taken steps to confront the challenge.
Japan and UNDP supported MLAILPKC in conducting courses in Peace Support Operations (PSOs), Countering Violent Extremism and Anti-Piracy for relevant stakeholders in the ECOWAS and the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) regions since 2014.
”Cumulatively, MLAILPKC has trained over 800 persons across the regions,” he added.
The representative of the Japanese Government and Defence Attache to Nigeria, Lt.-Col. Morita Tatsuya also spoke on the training.
Tatsuya remarked that violent attacks from Boko Haram and ISWAP have adversely affected North-Eastern Nigeria for a long time.
He said activities of terrorists had resulted in loss of lives, economy and properties as well as displacement of residents.
He said the terrorists had recently expanded their activities to the North-West and other parts of the country.
“This requires urgent need to sharpen the capacity of security forces regarding counterterrorism and the protection of civilians,”’ he said.
According to him, Japanese Government believes “it is timely and beneficial to have capacity building training to counter violent extremism”.
The Commandant, MLAILPKC, Brig.-Gen. Obinna Onubogu, said this nature of conflict had changed dramatically in Africa.
Represented by Col. Tahir Abdallah, the Deputy Commandant, Onubogu said violent conflicts are based on extremist political and religious ideologies.
He said the challenge had made it necessary to train personnel of armed forces, police, paramilitary and other agencies, who might be deployed to counter violent extremism.
He explained that the course is aimed at enhancing the ability of the participants to identify the drivers of violent extremism, understanding its links to terrorism and insurgency, and their strategies effectively.
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