The Partnership Against Violent Extremism (PAVE) Network has cautioned that insecurity in Nigeria’s North-West will persist unless governance challenges at the state and local levels are urgently addressed.

Speaking at the end of a one-day media engagement on Promoting Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE) and Stakeholders’ Initiatives in the North-West, held in Kaduna on Thursday, the Chairman of PAVE’s National Steering Committee, Jaye Gaskiya, identified years of failed governance, poverty, inequality, and unresolved communal grievances as major drivers of violent extremism.

According to Gaskiya, extremist groups exploit the frustrations of young people who feel alienated from the system.

“At the root of this crisis is failed governance. Poverty, inequality, historical grievances, and a broken education system have created fertile ground for extremist leaders to mobilise vulnerable youths. Unless we fix governance, insecurity will persist,” he warned.

The engagement, organised by PAVE in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and ActionAid Nigeria, with support from the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF), Geneva, brought together journalists and civil society actors across the region under the theme: “Amplifying Voices for Peace: Media Partnerships in PCVE and Resilience-Building.”

Gaskiya emphasised that military deployments alone cannot end violent extremism, urging leaders to prioritise job creation, access to education, healthcare, and housing.

“If people still lack jobs, education, healthcare, or decent housing, then law enforcement alone cannot solve the problem. We would only be wasting money,” he noted.

He also called for reforms to strengthen local governance, restore autonomy to local governments, and make council elections credible.

“Security must be non-partisan. We need synergy across national, state, and local levels. Stronger local governments are critical to building peace and resilience,” he added.

The National Coordinator of GCERF, Yetunde Adegoke, highlighted the organisation’s role in supporting community-driven initiatives against violent extremism since 2016. She explained that GCERF is working with PAVE, ONSA, and the Citizens’ Knowledge Hub to scale up interventions, particularly targeting women and youth in the North-West and North-Central regions.

She noted that the ongoing review of Nigeria’s Policy Framework and National Action Plan for PCVE offers a unique opportunity to adopt a more systematic and coordinated approach nationwide.