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By Lawrence Agbo
Former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and President of the African School of Governance, Prof. Kingsley Moghalu, has attributed Nigeria’s prolonged battle with terrorism to what he described as a failure of nationhood and the absence of a shared national identity.
Speaking on ARISE News, Moghalu argued that the country’s inability to forge a common political, civic, ethnic and historical identity has weakened collective efforts to confront security threats.
According to him, terrorism continues to thrive because many Nigerians do not regard the challenge as a common problem requiring a united response.
“Nigeria’s failure to overcome terrorism is driven by the failure to be a nation. We do not regard our problem as a common problem,” Moghalu said.
The former presidential candidate noted that countries facing external threats are often able to mobilise effectively when citizens share a strong sense of nationhood and common purpose.
He argued that Nigeria’s internal divisions have made it difficult to build the level of unity needed to confront violent extremist groups and other security challenges.
“When there is no nationhood; a common political, civic, ethnic and historical identity, we are not united internally to fend off external threats from terrorists,” he stated.
Moghalu also pointed to recurring allegations of collaboration between security personnel and terrorist groups as evidence of the deeper challenges confronting the country.
“We see this in the allegation of collusion between security forces and the terrorists,” he added.
Nigeria has battled insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of violent crime for more than a decade, particularly in parts of the North-East and North-West regions.
Moghalu’s comments add to ongoing debates about the root causes of insecurity in Nigeria, with many analysts arguing that addressing the crisis requires not only military action but also stronger institutions, national cohesion and inclusive governance.
