Obasanjo Urges Urgent Action on Insecurity and Unemployment
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called for decisive measures to address Nigeria’s worsening insecurity, unemployment and poverty, warning that leadership failures are driving citizens to seek opportunities abroad, often through perilous migration routes.
Obasanjo made the remarks on Saturday during a panel session themed “Lest We Forget” at the Creative Africa Nexus Weekend 2026, organised by the African Export-Import Bank in Lagos.
Reflecting on the country’s security situation since independence, the former president said Nigeria must confront the governance shortcomings responsible for declining safety and limited economic opportunities.
“We just have to do what we should do to provide job opportunities, to stem the tide of impunity, to stem the tide of poverty, to stem the tide of kidnapping and insecurity,” he said.
Obasanjo recalled returning to Nigeria in 1959 after completing military training in Britain, noting that he could travel freely across the country without fear of attacks or kidnapping.
“Now, if you can’t do that, what has gone wrong? We have to correct what has gone wrong,” he stated.
He expressed particular concern over unemployment among university graduates, arguing that it had become a major driver of economic desperation and made it difficult to discourage young Africans from leaving their countries in search of better prospects.
The former president linked the rise in insecurity and economic hardship to failures in leadership that have left many citizens, especially the youth, without viable futures at home.
He noted that some Nigerians had turned to desperate measures, including involvement in illicit activities, after losing legitimate sources of income, though he stressed that hardship does not justify crime.
Obasanjo also highlighted the broader African dimension, pointing out that poor economic conditions were pushing people to risk their lives crossing the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea in search of opportunities abroad.
His comments come amid ongoing national debates over security challenges, including kidnapping and banditry, and high levels of youth unemployment.
By Oyinkansola Shittu.
