The Head of Cooperation, Embassy of France in Nigeria, Ellien Helios, has described measures taken by the federal and state governments to combat terrorism and general insecurity in the country as inadequate, warning that unless more tailored actions were taken, the problems could become insurmountable.
Helios represented the Ambassador of France in Nigeria, Jerome Pasquier, at a workshop on “Addressing Rural Insecurity and Violence in North-western Nigeria” convened by Pastoral Reserve (PARE) in collaboration with Search for Common Ground (SFCG), Nextier SPD and the French Embassy.
He said efforts to find sustainable solutions to the spate of insecurity in Nigeria particularly in the Northwest is inadequate, tasking all concerned authorities and stakeholders to step up actions to effectively define and tackle the menace.
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The envoy said the workshop presented a unique opportunity for stakeholders to develop a better understanding of the issues and strategize appropriate response.
He said: “I don’t think there is enough being done by the actors to have a better understanding of the situation and try to find some appropriate solutions to the insecurity and the subsequent sufferings.
“We have a unique opportunity to work and listen to people that are gathering the best expertise on these issues, so let’s seize this opportunity as a starting point to get humble, but to also develop a better understanding of the issues , strategize response, develop a coordinative approach and increase action.”
Stakeholders at the event also warned that insecurity may escalate deeper to other regions in Nigeria and that the country was at risk of underdevelopment, food shortages, among others,if not the challenges were not addressed quickly.