Governor Yusuf outlines initiatives to combat violent extremism in Kano

Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State has launched several new initiatives aimed at addressing the root causes of violent extremism, banditry and kidnapping in the state.

During a visit by a delegation from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), led by Mairo Abbas, Director of Prevention and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE) at the National Counter Terrorism Centre, and Suwaiba Muhammad, Deputy Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria (AAN), Governor Yusuf detailed the state’s new measures.

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government Dr. Abdullahi Baffa Bichi, Governor Yusuf stressed that the state government is committed to combating these issues through proactive strategies. He highlighted poverty as a major driver of crime and outlined several initiatives designed to address the challenge.

“In the case of Kano State, we are of the view that rather than taking remedial measures, we should take preventive measures,” Governor Yusuf said. “That is why a number of initiatives initiated by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf are aimed at addressing the root causes of violent extremism, banditry and kidnapping for ransom.”

Also read: NAFDAC orders recall of Dove Beauty Cream Bar Soap due to chemical impurities

He noted that poverty alleviation is critical to crime prevention, stating, “For example, we are very aware that extreme poverty is a major cause of many crimes, so fighting poverty is essential if we are to prevent the threat of Violent Extremism and other crimes.”

The governor announced the creation of two new ministries: the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Eradication and the Ministry of Internal Security and Special Services. These ministries will handle humanitarian issues, natural disasters, and security issues, complementing federal efforts to combat insecurity and violent extremism.

Governor Yusuf also discussed the women and youth empowerment program and the declaration of emergency response status in the education sector which aims to tackle poverty and crime through education. “We also declared an emergency response status in the education sector which is the same as the declaration of an emergency response status for poverty and crime because when the youth are educated, they will not commit crimes,” he explained.

He expressed the state’s willingness to collaborate with ONSA and AAN, promising to expand the community resilience initiative against violent extremism across all 44 Local Government Areas of Kano State.

Mairo Abbas of ONSA noted that the visit aimed to enhance collaboration on ongoing interventions and expand initiatives funded by the Global Community Engagement Resilience Fund (GCERF) to prevent violent extremism in Kano.

Suwaiba Dankabo, AAN Deputy Country Director, highlighted their project consortium, Strengthening Systems and Structures to Counter Radicalization to Violent Extremism (SARVE III) Approach, which has built community resilience in six local governments and twelve communities in Kano. He also mentioned a recent additional grant to further scale up the initiative, supported by ONSA’s National Counter-Terrorism Unit.

“This collaboration is imperative as government support is critical to the ownership and sustainability of the initiative given the trends leading to violent extremism taking place in the state’s communities,” Abbas said.

Governor Yusuf outlines initiatives to combat violent extremism in Kano first appeared on Latest Nigeria News | Headlines from Ripples Nigeria.