Benjamin Kalu, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, has outlined a comprehensive approach to tackling insecurity in Southeast Nigeria.
He emphasizes the need for improved social infrastructure and youth empowerment as key strategies. During a meeting with Santiago Stocker, the Resident Programme Director of the International Republican Institute, Kalu highlighted the Peace in South East Project (PISE) aimed at fostering regional stability.
Kalu stresses the importance of addressing the root causes of insecurity, including the role of identity crises and marginalization.
He believes that non-kinetic approaches, which focus on sociological factors like infrastructure decay and feelings of alienation, are underutilized.
He shared personal experiences of infrastructure inadequacies in his region, linking them to national disloyalty and the rise of non-state actors. Kalu’s approach involves examining these non-kinetic areas to find sustainable solutions to insecurity.