Former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and President of the African School of Governance, Prof. Kingsley Moghalu, has blamed Nigeria’s long-drawn fight against terrorism on what he described as a failure of nationhood and the lack of a common national identity.
Moghalu, speaking on ARISE News, said the failure of the country to establish a common political, civic, ethnic and historical identity has undermined collective responses to security challenges.
He said terrorism is still thriving because many Nigerians do not see the challenge as a common problem that requires a united response.
Nigeria is unable to defeat terrorism because it is unable to be a nation. “We do not see our problem as a common problem,” Moghalu said.
The former presidential candidate said countries under external threat often can mobilise effectively when citizens have a strong sense of nationhood and common purpose.
He said Nigeria’s internal divisions have made it difficult to build the level of unity needed to confront violent extremist groups and other security challenges.
“There is no nationhood, no common political, civic, ethnic and historical identity, and we are not internally united to resist external threats from terrorists,” he said.
Moghalu also cited the persistent allegations of collusion between security agents and terrorist groups as further illustration of the deeper problems facing the country.
“We see this in the allegation of collusion between the security forces and the terrorists,” he added.
Nigeria has been battling insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of violent crime, especially in parts of the North-East and North-West regions for over a decade.
Moghalu’s comments are part of ongoing debates about the root causes of insecurity in Nigeria, with many analysts arguing that addressing the crisis requires not only military action, but also stronger institutions, national cohesion and inclusive governance.
