the Africa Kingdom Business Forum (AKBF) launched the Africa Kingdom Business Forum Institute (AKBF-I) in Abuja, where Christian stakeholders, including security experts, called for Nigerians to adopt self-defense and demand leadership reform to tackle rising insecurity and economic challenges, per AKBF statements. Chaired by Barr. Emeka Nwankpa, the event emphasized that prayers alone cannot address Nigeria’s multifaceted crises.
Self-Defense Advocacy
Major General Henry Ayoola (rtd), former Commander of Operation Safe Haven in Plateau State, advocated an “all citizens approach” to end insecurity, citing Article 51 of the UN Charter on individual and collective self-defense.
“Nigerians are too docile. If my life is threatened, I act preemptively,” Ayoola said, labeling insecurity as self-inflicted due to government inaction. With 3,600 deaths from banditry and kidnappings in 2021, per ACLED, he argued the government was overwhelmed, necessitating citizen action.
Leadership Failures Highlighted
Dr. Sam Amadi, former NERC Chairman, criticized Nigeria’s lack of a shared national vision and flawed leadership selection, noting that leaders often emerge without meritocratic processes. “A mechanic can become a senator if favored,” he said, attributing ethnic competition and colonial legacies to the absence of consensus.
Amadi pointed to misallocated power projects, like bypassing the gas-rich Niger Delta for geopolitical reasons, as evidence of leadership dysfunction, per UN records. He urged restructuring to address systemic flaws.
Economic and Security Strain
Nigeria’s economy faced severe strain in 2021, with 33% inflation and 60% of revenue servicing debt, per World Bank. Over 80 million Nigerians lived below the poverty line, and food insecurity affected 15 million, per WFP. Insecurity, including Boko Haram attacks and banditry, displaced 2.7 million people, per UNHCR. Ayoola and Amadi argued that government inaction and misplaced priorities, like heavy oil exploration spending, deepened the crisis, per IMF.
Critical Analysis
Ayoola’s call for self-defense risks escalating vigilante violence, as seen with groups like the Civilian Joint Task Force, which caused civilian harm, per Crisis Group. Without legal oversight, preemptive action could spark chaos in a nation with 50% youth unemployment, per World Bank. Amadi’s restructuring proposal, while resonating with 65% of Nigerians favoring reform in 2021 Afrobarometer surveys, lacks specificity on implementation, risking rhetorical stagnation. The government’s failure to address corruption, with $582 billion lost since 1960, per Transparency International, fuels public distrust.
Path Forward
Nigeria must strengthen community security through regulated local initiatives, as IOM’s 2021 programs for IDP reintegration suggest, per IOM. Leadership reform requires a national dialogue to forge a shared vision, addressing ethnic and economic divides. Transparent budgeting and reduced debt servicing, as IMF recommends, could fund social programs. Without these, calls for self-defense and restructuring may deepen instability in a nation where 70% face multidimensional poverty, per AfDB.
