Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has said education and poverty alleviation are the most effective long-term solutions to Nigeria’s growing insecurity.
According to The Sun on Saturday, June 27, 2026, Gumi made the remarks in a Facebook post, arguing that addressing the root causes of insecurity requires sustained investment in education and deliberate efforts to reduce poverty. He maintained that improving access to quality education and expanding economic opportunities would help steer people away from crime and promote lasting peace.
“The best way to fight insecurity is through education and poverty alleviation,” Gumi said.
To support his argument, the cleric shared a video highlighting China’s poverty reduction efforts, which stated that the country lifted about 878 million people—approximately 88 percent of its population—out of extreme poverty between 1981 and 2020 through coordinated policies on education, employment, rural development and targeted support for vulnerable communities.
Gumi said Nigeria should prioritise similar long-term development strategies, stressing that sustainable peace depends on tackling the socio-economic conditions that fuel insecurity rather than relying solely on security operations.
