A public affairs analyst and columnist, Austin Isikhuemen, has said over 26.5 million Nigerians face severe food insecurity, while thousands of kidnappings are officially recorded annually.

Mr Isikhuemen stated during an interview on Saturday in Lagos that the family was the first and most effective line of defence against insecurity.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) projected in 2024 that more than 26.5 million Nigerians would face severe food insecurity

Subsequent assessments projected that about 30.6 million Nigerians would face acute food and nutrition insecurity during the 2025 lean season, with the figure expected to rise to 34.7 million in 2026 if urgent interventions were not implemented.

Mr Isikhuemen therefore called for the empowerment of Nigerian families as a critical strategy for tackling insecurity and building safer communities across the country.

He maintained that though the government had the constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property, lasting security depended largely on families deliberately instilling discipline, integrity, compassion and respect for the rule of law in their children.

He lamented that insecurity had become a major threat to households across Nigeria, citing the increasing cases of kidnapping, violent crimes, displacement, poverty and unemployment.

According to him, between 3.6 million and four million Nigerians were internally displaced.

Mr Isikhuemen urged governments at all levels to strengthen security institutions through improved funding, equipment and welfare while simultaneously investing in education, healthcare, infrastructure, job creation and other social services that would empower families and reduce the drivers of crime.

Also speaking, Responsibility Officer of the Josemaria Escriva Foundation (JOSEF), Ekpoma, Edo State, Dr Jude Obasanmi, said that every Nigerian has a role to play in creating a secure environment where people can live and move freely without fear.

According to him, everyone in the country has a responsibility to contribute to creating a secure environment where people could live and move freely without fear.

Mr Obasanmi said that it was in pursuit of that responsibility that JOSEF recently organised a lecture to promote the integration of the family into Nigeria’s security architecture.

According to him, sustainable peace can only be achieved when families were empowered to nurture responsible and productive citizens.

He said that some families even encouraged or tolerated criminal behaviour among their members, stressing that criminals came from families.

He added that when families had access to quality education, healthcare, employment opportunities and other social services, they were better equipped to raise children who became responsible citizens rather than threats to society.

Mr Obasanmi said that the lecture, the Foundation’s 8th Annual Lecture Series and the official unveiling of its proposed Resource Centre Building Project, were aimed at drawing society’s attention to the role of families in addressing societal ills.

He explained that the organisers deliberately tagged the lecture, “Household Havens: Forging Safer Nigerian Communities Through Empowered Families” to emphasise the importance of strengthening families in promoting security.

He further stated that participants, including academics, traditional rulers, government officials, security agencies, religious leaders, civil society organisations, teachers, students and other stakeholders, unanimously agreed that families had a significant role to play in combating insecurity.

Also, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of JOSEF, Mr J. B. Agbogun, reaffirmed the foundation’s commitment to transforming lives through strategic interventions in education, healthcare, youth development, good governance and community mobilisation.

He said that, since its establishment, JOSEF remained dedicated to promoting human dignity, strengthening families and building resilient communities through sustainable development initiatives.

Mr Agbogun added that the goundation’s proposed Resource Centre Building Project was envisioned as a permanent hub for youth counselling, leadership development, family life education, mentorship, research and community empowerment.

(NAN)