The Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Network Nigeria has called for urgent measures to tackle rising insecurity and the abduction of children across the country.
The youth group has expressed what it described as “profound outrage” over the continued abduction of children and recurring attacks on schools and vulnerable populations across several parts of the country, warning that the situation now represents a structural threat to human capital development.
In a statement signed by Rabihat Rabiu, national president, YALI Network Nigeria, the organisation described the kidnapping of schoolchildren as a national tragedy and a direct violation of fundamental human rights, particularly the right to education and personal safety.
“No nation can attain meaningful development when its children live in fear, when parents are uncertain of their children’s safety, and when access to education is threatened by criminal elements,” the organisation said.
YALI Network Nigeria warned that beyond the immediate trauma inflicted on victims and their families, the recurring insecurity is beginning to generate economic and social consequences, including weakened public trust, declining community cohesion and long-term risks to national productivity.
As a youth-focused leadership and civic engagement platform, YALI Network Nigeria urged the federal government and security agencies to move beyond verbal condemnations and adopt what it described as “decisive, measurable and sustained action” to address both immediate threats and underlying drivers of insecurity.
The group outlined a multi-pronged response framework it believes is necessary to reverse the current trajectory of violence and instability.
These include the immediate and coordinated rescue of abducted children and other victims of kidnapping, increased investment in intelligence gathering and surveillance systems, and the deployment of more effective rapid-response security mechanisms across high-risk communities.
It also called for strengthened protection of schools through full implementation of school safety initiatives, alongside swift investigation, prosecution and punishment of perpetrators and their alleged sponsors.
YALI further recommended deeper collaboration between federal, state and local authorities in building community-based security structures capable of responding more quickly to emerging threats.
The group also emphasised the importance of victim support systems, including psychosocial care and the reintegration of rescued children into formal education, describing recovery and rehabilitation as essential components of national security strategy.
Transparency, it added, must also be improved, with clearer communication from government authorities on ongoing security operations and preventive measures.
YALI Network Nigeria also broadened its appeal beyond government, calling on traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil society organisations and the private sector to take a more active role in addressing insecurity, noting that the protection of children and communities should not be reduced to political or regional debate.
“The security of Nigerian children must never become a subject of political debate or regional interest. It is a national responsibility,” the group said.
The organisation further urged young Nigerians to remain engaged in advocacy for peace, accountability and community resilience, stressing that youth participation remains critical to building sustainable solutions to insecurity.
YALI Network Nigeria maintained that the current situation is reversible if urgent and coordinated action is taken.
The group reiterated its solidarity with affected families and communities, describing their situation as a national concern that demands collective responsibility rather than isolated responses.
“The time for urgent action is now. Every child deserves safety. Every family deserves peace. Every community deserves security,” it added.
