Budget Minister Bagudu says educating youths on conflict drivers is essential to tackling insurgency and violent extremism in Nigeria.
Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, has said Nigeria’s efforts to defeat insurgency and violent extremism will depend largely on how well young people understand the underlying drivers of conflict.
Speaking at a workshop in Abuja to revise the National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security, Bagudu identified misleading religious messaging and poor understanding of conflict dynamics as key factors sustaining violent extremism, despite ongoing government interventions.
He also questioned how sophisticated weapons such as AK-47 rifles continue to reach non-state actors, noting that Nigeria does not produce such arms.
To address these challenges, Bagudu proposed leveraging the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) as a platform to educate young people on both primary and secondary drivers of conflict, while also recommending a review of higher education curricula to include conflict studies within General Studies programmes.
He stressed that many youths lack opportunities to reflect on peace and security issues, warning that without a clear understanding of conflict drivers, they cannot contribute meaningfully to solutions.
Bagudu further emphasised the role of religious leaders, noting that their influence can either guide communities toward peace or deepen divisions, depending on the nature of their messaging.
According to him, Nigeria’s security challenges are also linked to broader issues such as land pressure, resource scarcity and external influences, which must be understood to develop effective, long-term solutions.
The minister highlighted the importance of a whole-of-society approach under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, stressing that sustainable peace requires active participation from all sectors, especially young people.
Also speaking, Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, represented by Tayo Olosunde, said the workshop provided an opportunity to assess progress and strengthen implementation of the National Action Plan.
Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Maryam Ismaila Keshinro, noted that the initiative aims to position youths as frontline actors in peacebuilding, referencing community-based efforts such as the Civilian Joint Task Force in Maiduguri.
Earlier, Global Director of Children and Youth Programmes at Search for Common Ground, Saji Frelis, said Nigeria’s first National Action Plan was groundbreaking but lacked measurable long-term outcomes, urging stakeholders to develop a more impact-driven and collaborative framework going forward.
