Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma has emphasized the need for an intelligence-driven and governance-focused approach to addressing Nigeria’s security challenges, stressing that military force alone cannot resolve threats rooted in poverty and exclusion.
Speaking at the Distinguished Personality Lecture for participants of the Executive Intelligence Management Course (EIMC) 18 at the National Institute for Security Studies in Abuja, Governor Uzodimma said effective national security begins with understanding the changing role of non-state actors and their growing influence on governance, development, and stability.
Delivering a lecture titled “Non-State Actors and Entrepreneurship Development in Africa: Challenges, Responses and Way Forward,” Uzodimma highlighted the dual impact of non-state actors — noting that while some advance progress through innovation and enterprise, others exploit governance failures to destabilize communities.
The governor cited Imo State’s recent security experience, explaining that the state restored peace through a mix of security operations and development initiatives aimed at empowering communities, expanding government presence, and creating economic opportunities for young people.
“No nation can shoot its way out of insecurity rooted in poverty and exclusion,” he stated. “Lasting peace comes from good governance that guarantees education, justice, opportunity, and inclusion.”
Uzodimma urged African leaders to address social and economic gaps to turn non-state actors from sources of insecurity into partners in sustainable development.
