National Security for Sustainable Development in Nigeria: The Role of Religious Leaders

The scourge of insecurity in Nigeria has become a recurring decimal that threatens the protection of lives and properties. This invariably poses danger to sustainable development. It has become of great concern to us in the nation. Government effort to address the scourge which include public security awareness campaigns, equipping the security agencies, amnesty programmes, job creation to mention a few have not yielded the desired results. This could be as a result lack of political will by leaders at various levels, policy inconsistencies and the craze for wealth. Security is a necessary ingredient for sustainable development in Nigeria. This paper therefore examines the possible role religious leaders could play in addressing national security for sustainable development in Nigeria. Historical-descriptive method was employed in this enterprise. It concludes with the fact that any attempt to effect societal change with regard to national security without involving Religious Leaders is tantamount to ignoring one of the crucial catalysts for that process. The paper recommends that Religious leaders by virtue of their grass-root support and coverage should co-operate with governmental agencies to stem the tide of insecurity of lives and properties in the country. Until and unless this is done, the goal of sustainable development of the country will be difficult if not impossible to achieve.