House of Reps Calls for Economic Revitalization to Combat Insecurity

The House of Representatives, through a Motion on Matter of Urgent Public Importance sponsored by Mr. Billy Osawaru, called for economic revitalization to address rising insecurity in Nigeria. Osawaru emphasized that reviving labor-intensive industries could create jobs and reduce the number of unemployed youth susceptible to criminal recruitment.

He referenced Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, which mandates the government to ensure citizens' security and welfare. The motion cited data from SBM Intelligence, indicating over 10,000 deaths and 7,500 kidnappings in more than 1,700 incidents up to 2024, with the first quarter of 2025 recording 2,683 deaths and 1,107 abductions.

Osawaru pointed out a 5.34% youth unemployment rate and 13.5 million out-of-school children, linking these issues to the decline of agriculture and manufacturing sectors. He noted significant post-harvest losses in agriculture and the shutdown of over 800 factories in manufacturing due to various challenges.

Osawaru urged collaboration among relevant ministries to establish modern storage hubs and agro-processing clusters.