Arewa Group Launches 'Watchdog Desk' to Track Security Promises

Arewa Group Launches 'Watchdog Desk' to Track Security Promises 

The Arewa Cohesion for Unity, Peace and Development Initiative, ACI, has launched a new framework to monitor how governments and stakeholders deliver on security commitments in Northern Nigeria.


The group unveiled the plan at a security summit held in Kaduna on Wednesday, saying it was moving away from conferences that end with only speeches and resolutions.


Speaking at the event, ACI Director-General, Dr. Abdullahi Idris, said the initiative was designed to produce real results by involving security experts, traditional rulers, youth and women groups, civil society organizations, and community members.

"This initiative will endure even after this," Dr. Idris told participants. "It is not going to be a talk show where papers are presented, big grammar, and we disperse."

According to him, ACI will issue a communiqué at the end of the summit assigning specific responsibilities to federal, state and local governments, as well as to civil society and community groups. The organization will then engage each stakeholder directly to monitor compliance.

To sustain the effort, Dr. Idris said ACI will set up a dedicated ‘Watchdog Desk’ at its secretariat, train and deploy peace and youth ambassadors, and carry out outreach every quarter across Northern states.

Dr. Idris identified unemployment, poverty, drug abuse and the Almajiri system as the major causes of insecurity in the region. He argued that relying only on military force will not solve the problem.

"The kinetic approach that government is using right now is okay, it’s good, it’s helpful, but it’s not enough," he said.
"Any society where people cannot get employment, farmers cannot go to farm, businesses are dying, industries have collapsed, it’s a breeding ground for all sorts of anti-social behavior," he added.

He also warned that Almajiri children across the North remain vulnerable to recruitment by bandits and insurgents, and called for urgent reforms.

On youth engagement, the ACI boss said the group will reach young people directly in their communities instead of bringing them together in one place.

"It is more effective if you reach them where they are and you enlighten them, and you empower them, and you talk to them, and you counsel them," Dr. Idris explained. "Bringing potentially volatile youths to a single gathering could be counterproductive."
He described insecurity as the biggest challenge facing the North and said the summit’s theme, “United Action Against Insecurity,” was aimed at setting aside religious and ethnic differences.
"Security is everybody’s business," Dr. Idris said. "We are putting aside all our affiliations and looking squarely at the issue of insecurity. By the grace of God, we shall succeed."

The Special Guest, Hon. Dr. Muhammad Ali, said communities across Northern Nigeria have suffered for years from insurgency, banditry and violent attacks, with heavy impact on farming, education and local economies.
He criticized what he called reactive and short-term responses by authorities, saying they have failed to address the root causes of insecurity.
Dr. Ali urged Northern leaders and citizens to demand more accountability from government, stressing that protecting lives and property remains its primary duty.
With the 2027 elections approaching, he called on voters to choose leaders based on their capacity to deliver peace, security and good governance.
"The region should priorities leaders capable of restoring safety, justice and economic stability," Dr. Ali said. "While rejecting politics driven by ethnic divisions, partisan interests and short-term incentives."

At the end of the summit, participants agreed to strengthen regional cooperation, promote peaceful coexistence, and develop practical solutions to end kidnapping, killings and displacement in the North.
They also resolved to sustain dialogue among governments, traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil society and local communities to restore lasting peace.

ACI officials said the ‘Watchdog Desk’ and quarterly engagements will begin immediately, with the first round of community outreach scheduled for the coming months.