COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF ONE-DAY NATIONAL SUMMIT ON SECURITY AND INSECURITY IN NIGERIA: THE ROLE OF TRADITIONAL INSTITUTION, 12 FEBRUARY 2020, CENTRE FOR BLACK CULTURE AND INTERNATIONAL UNDERSTANDING, ABERE, OSUN STATE.

The "National Summit on Security and Insecurity in Nigeria, the Role of Traditional Rulers" organized by the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding (CBCIU), Abere. The summit attracted over fifty distinguished traditional rulers from southwestern Nigeria. Also present at the summit were the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (the Sultan of Sokoto) Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar, His Imperial Majesty, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ojaja II) (the Co-Chairman National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria), the Executive Governor, State of Osun, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, the Chairman of CBCIU Board of Trustees, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, the academia, different formal and informal security units, and other stakeholders in Nigerian security.

The summit focused on the roles of traditional rulers in containing growing threats of insecurity in southwestern Nigeria in particular and the whole country at large. It was noted that traditional institution has contributed to the security and integration of the nation in the past but the present state of insecurity requires a proper redefinition of roles of traditional rulers in Nigeria. This becomes imperative because of the proximity of traditional rulers to their subjects.

The summit identified and defined different types of modern insecurity in Nigeria. These include food insecurity, economic insecurity, cultural insecurity, public insecurity, environmental insecurity, energy insecurity, and political insecurity. It was emphasized that the ability of people to achieve robust quality of life depends on their capacity to feed themselves. Commitment to enhancing agriculture as a means of improving access to food, for people in the region is the only way to achieve food security. Our economic security and prosperity of the southwest depend on the flow of goods, services, people, capital, information and technology across our borders. These became impossible due to the security crises in Nigeria.

Participants at the summit agreed that the present state of insecurity is rooted in a lack of justice and fairness, bad governance and entrenched culture of corruption in Nigeria.

The summit submitted that the state of insecurity in Nigeria has gone beyond religious or ethnic sentiments. Hence, there was an urgent need for a holistic and bottom approach to solving political, social and economic problems of the country. It was recommended that traditional governance should be characterized by effective security monitoring and mechanism.

For the traditional rulers to perform their roles as chief security of their community, they were urged to be urbane, relaxed and self-confident. They were encouraged to cultivate and constantly increase their circle of friends, contacts, and associates and be dispassionate, well informed and judicious.

They were advised to be diverse in order to cope with a pluralistic, ethic and ideological society such as Nigeria. They must be genuine, generous and accommodating with visitors, opinions, and ideas even when they differ. They also need to strive for a blissful domestic relationship, stable and enviable matrimonial haven.

Finally, the summit agreed that there is an urgent need to tap from our history, culture, and customs to tackle the threats of modern insecurity.