Chukwu Obinna 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Federal Government launches a nationwide youth empowerment programme targeting 11,000 young Nigerians, as part of a broader strategy to address insecurity through non-military interventions.
The programme, known as the Safe Nigeria Initiative – Youth Empowerment for Peace and Resilience, was unveiled on Tuesday in Abuja by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and coordinated by the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) in partnership with humanitarian and poverty-reduction offices.
Speaking through the NCTC National Coordinator, Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, Ribadu says insecurity in Nigeria is deeply rooted in socio-economic challenges rather than force alone.
“Violent extremism, banditry, kidnapping and organised crime are symptoms of deeper structural problems such as poverty, unemployment and social exclusion,” he says.
The initiative focuses on skills acquisition, livelihood support, psychosocial care and civic education, aimed at reducing youth vulnerability to criminal recruitment.
Ribadu describes the programme as a preventive investment designed to complement kinetic security operations.
“Young people who are economically productive and socially included are far less likely to be drawn into crime or violent extremism,” he adds.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Delu Yakubu, says the initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, signalling a shift towards people-centred security strategies.
She notes that the programme will prioritise youths in conflict-affected and high-risk communities.
Also speaking, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, says Nigeria’s youthful population remains a strategic asset only if backed by sustained investment in skills and opportunities.
The Nigerian Governors’ Forum pledges state-level support, describing youth empowerment as a national security imperative rather than a social welfare option.
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