The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has warned that Nigeria’s worsening insecurity has reached what it described as a “state of war,” calling on the Federal Government to adopt urgent and extraordinary measures to address the crisis.
The position was contained in a communiqué issued after the ACF’s 38th Board of Trustees meeting held in Abuja.
The meeting was chaired by Bashir Dalhatu and attended by prominent northern figures, including former Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Abubakar, former Chief of Army Staff Tukur Buratai, former President of the United Nations General Assembly Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, and Mahmud Ahmed.
In its communiqué, the forum said Nigeria’s security challenges—ranging from insurgency in the North-East, banditry and mass kidnappings in the North-West and North-Central, and persistent communal clashes—have escalated into a broader crisis threatening national stability.
It warned that the scale, persistence, and human cost of the violence require a fundamental shift in national priorities, stressing that the situation must be treated as a national emergency.
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“Nigeria’s security crisis has moved far beyond a routine governance challenge; it has since evolved from insurgency in the North-East, banditry and mass kidnappings across the North-West and North-Central, persistent inter-communal clashes, violent conflict between herders and farmers, to a state of all-out war that now threatens the continued existence of Nigeria as we know it. The scale, persistence, and human cost of violence demand a fundamental shift in national priorities.”
The forum further stated: “The time has come for the government of Nigeria to treat this crisis not as one issue among many, but as the overriding national emergency.”
On the human impact, the ACF said: “Hundreds of thousands of Nigerians have been killed or displaced in Borno, Plateau, Niger, Kwara and many other places.”
It added that members of the armed forces, including senior officers, were also among the casualties, while families have been shattered and entire communities left traumatised.
“This is not even counting the large number of our armed forces personnel, including very senior military officers. Families have been shattered, livelihoods destroyed, and entire generations traumatized.”
The forum warned that insecurity is now severely undermining Nigeria’s economy, particularly agriculture in northern regions, with disruptions to farming and supply chains worsening inflation and rural economic collapse.
“Insecurity is now directly undermining Nigeria’s economy. Agriculture—especially in the North—is under severe threat. Supply chains are disrupted, inflation is worsened, and rural economies are collapsing. The longer the crisis persists, the more expensive it becomes to fix. Redirecting national resources toward security is not a diversion from economic development; it is a prerequisite for it.”
Calling for a stronger response, the ACF said: “War-time approach is required. Extraordinary threats require extraordinary measures. Nigeria needs to temporarily suspend or scale down budgeting on non-essential projects and focus national energy, funding, and leadership attention on bringing the security crisis to an end without further delay. This does not mean abandoning development—but sequencing it correctly: secure the nation first, then build it.”
The forum reiterated that prioritising security should not be seen as neglecting development, but as a necessary foundation for it.
It concluded that Nigeria is at a critical point, warning that continued escalation of violence threatens both lives and the country’s future, and urged decisive and comprehensive measures to restore security nationwide.
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