The Al-Hikmah University Centre for Peace and Security Studies (CPPS) embarked on community outreach on peace and security practical skills acquisition programme between November 2 and November 12, 2021 in Ilorin Emirate.
The Acting Director of the Centre, Dr. Raji Shittu in an interview with the Information Crew revealed that the Centre carried out a security threat analysis of some communities in order to provide enabling platforms for proper training of students. He stated the programme would not be limited to Kwara State as the plan was to extend same to other places that have peace and security challenges.
Dr. Shittu affirmed that practical skills of sustaining peaceful co-existence through traditional methods of conflict and security management is very vital because the students would be exposed to the resilient factors and cultures of sustaining effective conflict management and resolution mechanisms. He added that we need multiple interdisciplinary approaches to achieve communal peace. According to him, “there is a need for involvement of the government, media, traditional rulers, community leaders, non-governmental organizations and religious leaders in peace building because they are all relevant stakeholders in conflict management and are, thus, key to achieving sustainable peace in Nigeria”. He lamented that the Nigerian peace and security problem is majorly that of structural foundation which is largely characterised by unfairness, injustice and inequity. These are being exploited by the elites for selfish interest.
Dr. Shittu pointed out that the government needs to provide sufficient funds for security equipment and digital security, peace and security sensitisation programmes and establish security trust fund outside the regular budgetary allocation to the security sector. He added that security is a business of everyone. While the government provides the enabling environment, private individuals should take core responsibilities for their own security by reporting suspicious movement to the relevant authorities, establishing security outfits in the community and embarking on massive recruitment of guards and private intelligence personnel to complement the state security mechanisms.
