The Kano State chapter of the Partnership Against Violent Extremism (PAVE) Network raised concerns over the evolving security situation in Kano and the wider North-West.
This concern was raised on Wednesday during a press briefing held at the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) conference hall.
The briefing called for stronger community-led and non-military approaches to preventing violent extremism.
Speaking at a press conference in Kano, the State Chair of the PAVE Network, Barrister Halima Suleiman, represented by Amb. Nafisa Ado, Kano-PAVE treasurer, said the region continues to face intertwined security threats.
According to her, while Kano State has not experienced the same scale of violence as some neighbouring states, the risks remain real and require proactive responses.
“The Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf has intensified coordinated security operations in vulnerable communities to curb criminal activities and prevent the infiltration of armed groups.
“However, the prolonged insecurity across the North-West is also driven by economic marginalization, youth unemployment and weak community resilience, making preventive strategies essential,” she said.
Amb Nafisa noted that the PAVE Network has recorded progress in recent weeks through capacity-building engagements involving government institutions, security agencies, traditional leaders, civil society organizations, women and youth groups.
These engagements, she explained, have improved understanding of local drivers of extremism and supported the ongoing development of State and Local Action Plans on PAVE in line with the national framework.
She added that community dialogue platforms, peer learning exchanges among states and grassroots resilience campaigns have helped strengthen trust between citizens and authorities, while equipping communities with basic early-warning and response tools.
Despite these gains, she identified persistent challenges, including the continued presence of armed groups, weak intelligence linkages in some local government areas and limited integration of PAVE priorities into sectoral budgets.
She called on residents, community leaders, youth and women groups, government agencies and security institutions to play active roles in promoting peace, tolerance and inclusive development.
Abdullahi Abubakar, a member of the PAVE network stated that youths are critical to the fight against insecurity because they are often the most targeted for recruitment by violent groups.
He added that young people should be actively engaged through education, skills development, and community-based initiatives that promote peace, tolerance, and responsible citizenship, noting that empowering youths would reduce their vulnerability to manipulation and radicalization.
He also tasked the media to play a responsible role by amplifying positive narratives, avoiding sensational reporting that could fuel fear or division, and consistently supporting peacebuilding efforts through accurate, ethical, and conflict-sensitive journalism.
