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The growing commercialisation of kidnapping for ransom is threatening Nigeria’s governance, economic development, human rights and rule of law, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has warned.
CISLAC Executive Director and Head of Transparency International Nigeria, Auwal Ibrahim Musa Rafsanjani, raised the alarm on Tuesday in New York at a side event of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, where he launched the 9th Nigeria SDG 16 Shadow Report.
The report, which assesses Nigeria’s progress between July 2025 and August 2026 towards Sustainable Development Goal 16 — focused on peace, justice and strong institutions — identified insecurity, particularly kidnapping for ransom, as one of the major threats to the country’s development.
Musa said the challenge had gone beyond conventional security concerns, warning that the inability of citizens to live, work and travel without fear was weakening the foundations of a peaceful and inclusive society.
“This is not simply a security challenge. It has profound implications for governance, economic development, human rights and the rule of law,” he said.
“When citizens cannot live, work or travel without fear, the foundations of peaceful and inclusive societies are weakened.”
The report, according to him, presented a “mixed picture” of Nigeria’s progress, acknowledging significant institutional and enforcement actions in areas such as illicit financial flows, asset recovery and anti-money laundering.
However, he said these measures had yet to produce corresponding improvements in Nigeria’s legal framework, public confidence, transparency and access to information.
Musa said the country’s major challenge was no longer a lack of laws, policies or institutions, but the failure to ensure that existing frameworks functioned effectively, consistently and in the public interest.
“Our findings point to persistent governance challenges. While Nigeria has made legislative and policy advances, implementation and enforcement remain weak, inconsistent and, in some cases, undermined by political interference,” he said.
He called for stronger protection of institutions established to serve the public interest, warning against their capture and urging that they be allowed to operate with independence, transparency and accountability.
The CISLAC chief also raised concerns over political corruption, asset declaration and unexplained wealth, saying they continued to raise questions about the management of public resources.
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On asset recovery, Musa said the government’s recovery of illicit assets would have limited value if the process and subsequent management of the assets were not transparent.
“We also continue to witness asset recoveries without sufficient transparency about the process and, importantly, what happens to recovered assets afterwards,” he said.
“Without effective post-recovery tracking and public accountability, recovered assets can become vulnerable to mismanagement and the cycle of corruption can be repeated.”
The report also highlighted what CISLAC described as an erosion of institutional integrity, particularly within the judiciary, security institutions and electoral bodies.
Musa said public confidence in the institutions remained a concern, citing allegations involving senior judicial figures, questions surrounding electoral processes and weaknesses in the vetting of political appointees as areas requiring stronger safeguards.
He stressed that the integrity of such institutions was central to democratic governance and the achievement of SDG 16.
With the 2030 deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals approaching, Musa said Nigeria faced an “urgent implementation challenge”.
According to him, the 9th Nigeria SDG 16 Shadow Report should serve both as a reflection of the country’s current position and as a guide to the reforms needed to accelerate progress.
He called on the Federal Government, civil society organisations, development partners and the international community to move beyond commitments and deliver measurable reforms.
“This means strengthening institutions, protecting civic space, improving transparency, ensuring access to information, safeguarding public resources and upholding the rule of law,” he said.
Musa maintained that sustainable national development could not be achieved without justice, accountability and institutions capable of working effectively for citizens.
“If Nigeria is to achieve the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals and truly leave no one behind, we must move from commitments to implementation and from institutions on paper to institutions that work for the people,” he said.
