Speaking at the launch of Glamour magazine in Abuja on Wednesday, Akoh urged the federal government to embrace more “human-centric” view to security.
The Peace Corps boss, who was represented by the Deputy National Commandant on Administration, Dr. Edet Ekpeyong, said it would be almost impossible to solve Nigeria’s security challenges given the country’s increasing population.
Presenting a paper titled ‘Youth Unemployment and National Security’, Akoh lamented the rate of unemployment in Nigeria, which he opined, was responsible for insecurity and other social vices in the country.
“Youth unemployment is a global trend but occurs mostly in developing countries of the world with attendant social, economic, political and psychological consequences,” Akoh said.
“Massive youth unemployment in any country is an indication of far more complex problems and an opportunity for youth to be actively engaged by politicians, warlords, criminal gangs, illegal migration syndicates thus making such youth readily available for antisocial criminal activities that undermine the security of the society.
“For too long, the Nigerian government had restricted security matters to its security agencies and has carried on as if continued spending on these institutions could guarantee security of life and property. Sadly, that kind of thinking is now anachronistic and has been replaced with more human-centric view of security.
In the last two decades especially, most of the conflicts that have bedeviled states are not external in nature. They were mainly internal dynamics that could not be totally overcomes by high military build-up,” the Peace Corps commandant declared.
Akoh urged President Muhammadu Buhari to rescind his decision and reconsider the Nigerian Peace Corps (Establishment) bill, which according to him would provide vast opportunities for youths to be productively engaged.