Insecurity Declining In Nigeria – Lawmakers

The Nigerian Delegation at the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has said that the insecurity that beset the country in the last couple of years is declining as revealed in the third quarter security data.

The lawmakers disclosed this when they presented the Nigerian Country Report before the ECOWAS Parliament on Thursday at the ongoing 2022 2nd Ordinary Session of the Parliament in Abuja.

Hon Lynda Ikpeazu, who presented the report, said improvement of the security situation of the country has also triggered good achievements in other sectors of the country such as the economy and political situations.

Ikpeazu however, noted that Nigeria is still experiencing some security challenges but the reduced incidents have been linked on one hand to the Federal government’s approval of 2.6-billion-naira intervention.

She said the frequency of strategy meetings by the National Security Council, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, have led to  the implementation of  a sustainable security framework.

“In recent months, there have been reduced security incidents in the country. This is linked on one hand to the Federal Government’s approval of N2.6 billion for the purchase of security equipment.

“And on the other hand, to improve tactics, techniques and procedures by security forces especially in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

“Also, there is increased inter-service and inter-agency synergy and better cohesion between national and multinational security forces.

“As a result, there has been noticeable reduction in security incidents in the North-east and North-west, particularly in states constantly under attack by the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’adati wal-Jihad (JAS).”

On the Political situation, the Nigerian lawmakers said that Nigeria is geared towards delivering a free, fair, and credible election in 2023 as affirmed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“INEC has further reaffirmed its determination to conduct a technology-driven election that will prevent any form of human errors, which were seemingly the case in the past.

“It is noteworthy, that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) has been successfully deployed in the 2022 off-season gubernatorial elections in Ekiti and Osun states.

“Thus reigniting the hope of Nigerians for a credible 2023 general elections,” she said.

On the Economic Situation, the country report revealed that Nigeria is slowly recovering from the combined impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian-Ukraine war, insecurity and natural disasters.

According to Ikeapzu, despite the challenges the Nigerian economy recorded a 3.54 per cent growth in the second quarter (Q2) of 2022, which is a 0.43 per cent increase from Q2 of 2022.

Ikpeazu in the report said that the redesign of the higher denomination of the Nigerian currency by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was a bid to mop-up excess cash in circulation, arrest inflation, curtail counterfeiting.