Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has advocated for integrated security operations, governance reforms, community engagement, and socio-economic recovery to curb insecurity in the North-West geopolitical zone.

The governor made this suggestion at the North-West Zonal Peace and Security Summit, held under the theme “Towards Enduring Peace and Harmony in the North-West Zone.”

The event, which was organised by the Cheren Peace Foundation in collaboration with the North-West Governors Forum, was held in Kaduna on Wednesday

Represented by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Alhaji Sule Shaibu (SAN), Governor Uba Sani emphasised that “no single state, institution, or security agency can address security threats in isolation.”

He called for empowering local communities to act as partners in peace, strengthening interstate collaboration, intelligence sharing, and joint responses to security challenges.

The governor noted that the complex security challenges facing the North-West transcend state borders, adding that they thrive on poverty, exclusion, misinformation, and weak social cohesion.

He highlighted Kaduna State’s success of the Kaduna Peace Model, which is a people-centred, intelligence-led, and non-kinetic complemented security strategy.

According to him, the Kaduna Peace Model combines logistical support for security agencies with dialogue, reconciliation, social cohesion, and justice.

Governor Uba Sani pointed out that the state’s early-warning mechanisms and local peace structures are based on the belief that communities are not just victims but crucial partners in preventing and resolving insecurity.

He noted that Kaduna State is embarking on inclusive development, expanding education and skills acquisition, and providing social protection for youth and women to reduce the likelihood of criminal activity and violent extremism.

The governor cautioned against hate speech, misinformation, and inflammatory narratives, urging leaders, media practitioners, civil society, and citizens to promote messages of unity, tolerance, and coexistence.

In his remarks, His Eminence the Sultan of Sokoto and chairman of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in Nigeria, Alhaji (Dr) Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, canvassed for collective efforts to assist one another.

He urged religious leaders to be champions of peace by promoting interfaith dialogue and preaching compassion, forgiveness, and peaceful coexistence, drawing on the shared values that unite the faithful.

Represented by the Emir of Jama’a, Alhaji Muhammadu Isa Muhammadu II, the Sultan called for a collective approach to tackle insecurity, highlighting that no development can occur in an insecure environment.

Similarly, the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (rtd), who was represented by his special adviser, Alhaji Hussain Kasim, emphasised that security cannot be achieved solely through kinetic means.

He highlighted the federal government’s commitment to supporting coordinated security operations through interagency collaboration and community-focused approaches.

Gen Musa advised young people to reject social vices, embrace education, skills development, entrepreneurship, and community service, and to become builders of peace rather than instruments of criminality.

In his welcome address, Bishop Timothy Cheren, the convener of the summit, reflected on the 25-year legacy of the Cheren Peace Foundation’s peace-building efforts.

He explained that the decision to organise the zonal summit stemmed from the “breakdown of peace” observed across the nation, characterized by rising banditry and terrorism.

Bishop Cheren noted that the foundation had previously held a North-Central Peace Summit in Nasarawa on October 10, adding that it hosted the North-West edition on Wednesday, supported by the Kaduna State government.