NFSS Raises Alarm Over Forest Reserves as Presidency Pushes Dialogue to Tackle North-Central Insecurity
The Commandant-General of the Nigerian Forest Security Service (NFSS), Ambassador Joshua Osatimehin Wole, has warned that Nigeria’s 1,129 forest reserves—particularly the 174 located in the North-Central—have become flashpoints of insecurity that require stronger surveillance and inter-agency collaboration.
Speaking at a capacity-building training for stakeholders in Abuja, Wole stressed that forests play a central role in peace and security.
“For sustainable peace in our communities, all our forested regions must be preserved and properly secured,” he said.
He highlighted Niger, Kwara, and Benue—states sharing international borders—as epicentres that demand enhanced monitoring, while linking insecurity to wider regional dynamics.
“What Nigeria is currently facing goes beyond farmer-herder clashes. We must also consider the post-Gaddafi fallout, which scattered mercenaries across the Sahel,” he noted.
The forum, held under the Presidential Community Engagement Peace Initiative (PCEPI), gathered stakeholders from across the North-Central to deepen dialogue, strengthen social cohesion, and develop strategies for lasting peace.
Dr. Abiodun Essiet, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (North-Central), said nearly 70 percent of insecurity in the region can be addressed through dialogue, reconciliation, intelligence-sharing, and community-driven initiatives rather than military force alone.
“At the heart of this initiative is a peace structure across all 110 local governments of the region,” Essiet explained.
“It will serve as a platform for intelligence gathering, continuous dialogue, and addressing the root causes of conflict. This structure will be the backbone of sustainable peacebuilding.”
She stressed that early intervention in communal conflicts was crucial:
“Once we succeed in addressing internal disputes and root causes of tension, we will already be halfway to overcoming insecurity in the North-Central, while armed criminality remains the task of security agencies.”
The training featured sessions on conflict resolution, peacebuilding, and intelligence gathering, including SWOT analyses to map risks and create state-level action plans.
Dr. Kole Shettima, Director of the MacArthur Foundation, underscored the centrality of peace to development.
“Unless there is peace, you cannot do what you want to do. Peace is essential and paramount,” he said, urging lawmakers to empower traditional institutions and draw lessons from indigenous conflict resolution systems.
Project Coordinator Jacob Alagbe said the programme’s outcomes would feed into state-specific action plans designed to strengthen partnerships and promote peaceful coexistence.
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