Security experts urge government action on peacebuilding
Security experts have called on governments and stakeholders to adopt recommendations aimed at curbing ethnic profiling and strengthening peacebuilding, following the conclusion of a two-day high-level conference in Abuja. The conference, organised by Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited in collaboration with Whiteink Institute for Strategy Education and Research, was held at the National Counter Terrorism […]
Security experts have called on governments and stakeholders to adopt recommendations aimed at curbing ethnic profiling and strengthening peacebuilding, following the conclusion of a two-day high-level conference in Abuja.
The conference, organised by Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited in collaboration with Whiteink Institute for Strategy Education and Research, was held at the National Counter Terrorism Centre from April 1 to 2. It brought together security experts, policymakers, civil society organisations, media practitioners and members of the diplomatic community to examine the risks associated with ethnic profiling and stereotyping in security operations and public discourse across West Africa.
Speaking at the close of the conference, the Founder and President of WISER, Saleh Bala, and the Managing Director of BSIL, Kabir Adamu, said the initiative was designed to address harmful narratives that undermine national unity and effective security operations.
“Flawed narratives and lazy categorisations often equate specific cultural identities with threats. This conference is a deliberate effort to correct that by promoting accurate, responsible, and context-based use of language in both security operations and public discourse,” they said.
They noted that discussions during six sessions focused on the roots of identity-based violence, legal implications of terminology, the role of the media in shaping conflict narratives and the operational consequences of how armed actors are classified.
“The way we describe threats has real consequences. It can either promote understanding and trust or deepen division and suspicion. We must choose language that supports peacebuilding and respects human dignity,” they added.
The conference forms part of a broader project supported by the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office under its Strengthening Peacebuilding and Resilience in Nigeria programme. It also received institutional support from the National Counter Terrorism Centre, the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, and the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution.
Adamu said one of the key outcomes of the conference is the development of two policy tools. “We are producing an Anti-ethnic Stereotyping and Profiling Toolkit and a National Policy Brief. These documents will provide clear guidance for security agencies, the media, and policymakers on the use of non-stigmatising and operationally effective language,” he said.
He described the initiative as a step toward a more inclusive security approach. “By addressing the issue of harmful labelling, we are laying the foundation for a more inclusive, proactive, and people-centred security framework,” he stated.
Bala called on governments, regional bodies and other stakeholders to support implementation of the recommendations. “We urge the Federal Government, state governments, ECOWAS, civil society organisations, and development partners to take ownership of these recommendations and extend them across subnational levels, especially as we approach the 2027 elections,” he said.
He added that the toolkit and policy brief would be submitted to relevant institutions. “Our goal is to ensure that these tools are not just documents, but living frameworks that guide how we communicate, how we act, and how we build trust across communities,” Adamu concluded.
Those in attendance included the National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre, A.G. Laka; Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim; Chief of Army Staff, Waidi Shaibu; Chairman, Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, Yahaya Abdullahi; Chairman, Senate Committee on Army, Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua; Director General, Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Joseph Ochogwu; Ambassador of Rwanda to Nigeria, Moses Rugema; Ambassador of Angola to Nigeria, Jose Bamoquina Zau; Team Leader, UKHC SPRING, Ukoha Ukiwo; and Conflict Adviser, FCDO, Pirmah Rimdans.