As Nigeria continues to battle high level of insecurity in the country, Prof Usman Tar, a security expert and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna has attributed the influx of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALWs) as one of the factors that contribute to the intensity of violence and growing levels of insecurity in the country.
Prof. Tar stated this in Nsukka on Thursday virtually while delivering the Keynote address of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) 2nd Annual International Conference, with the theme: “Multiple Dimensions of Human Security: Prognosis, Challenges, and Panacea in a Globalized World.
He said that the proliferation of SALWs as a result of their availability at cheap prices in the black market was made possible by globalization, which he said has altered the object and subject of security resulting in violence, loss of lives and property, and high levels of insecurity across the country.
“One of the factors that contribute to high levels of insecurity across the country and sub-African regions is the proliferation of SALWs as a result of their availability at cheap prices in the black market, which has been largely facilitated by contemporary globalization.
“This has greatly altered the object and subject of security, as the individual became the object of threat much more than the state.
“While globalization provides a dynamic scenario for the management of national, regional, and global security. It also provided subversive forces a breeding ground to counter their home states as well as enabled the creation of the clandestine structures and networks that threaten national, regional, and global securities,” he said.
Tar, a Professor of Defence and Security Studies said further that human security management measures should be adopted at all levels to withstand the ugly impact of globalization.
“The easiest way to solve security challenges in a developing country like Nigeria is through development that would ensure job security, health security, food security, among others, as well a ensure the fundamental rights of citizens,” he said.
In a remark, Prof Charles Igwe, the Vice Chancellor of UNN said that the international conference was targeted at security of human survival on planet Earth.
“The unsettling of a nation’s security apparatus and the outbreak of full-blown crises has created new opportunities for terror, insurgents, and criminal groups to thrive and expand.
“Actions aimed at protecting communities, technological systems, infrastructures, health systems, organizations from possible harm, or breach of their integrity means securing them.
“We aim to use the conference to disseminate the results of research, innovations, and development in human security at national, regional, and global levels and to make an actionable recommendation to form security policies and security management in the different dimensions.
“The conference is also expected to develop an early warning system and identify areas where there is a gap in knowledge and the priorities for further research on ways and means of fighting the present and future security challenges,” he said.
The VC who was represented at the conference by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic, Prof Johnson Urama said further that the conference which will move into a technical session over two days has about 230 paper proposals, with research, policymakers, MDAs, NGOs, government, security agencies, among others to explore the theme.
Earlier in a remark, Prof Chidi Nzeadibe, chairman of the Local Organising Committee of the conference said that the conference is the second in the series of annual conferences of the university aimed at addressing issues of global concern.
“I thank the VC for graciously approving to host the conference, Prof Tar for accepting to share his knowledge and wealth of experience with the conference participants, and also the conference delegates for sharing the results of their research at this conference,” he said.
Some of the participants interviewed by our reporter expressed their appreciation to UNN for organizing the conference, describing it as apt and timely given the present security facing the country.