By: Titus Akor, Makurdi.

Benue State Governor, Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia on Monday disclosed that when the North Central is insecured, it is not only the problem of the North Central, the whole country feels it on its dining table.

Governor Alia made the disclosure while delivering his welcome speech at the 2026 North Central Regional Security Summit held at the New Banquet Hall of Government house, Makurdi.

“I will say something plainly here. When the North Central is insecure, it is not only our problem — the whole country feels it on its dining table. Our farms feed this nation. Our roads carry the yams, the rice, the tomatoes that end up on tables from Lagos to Maiduguri. Our hills hold minerals that other regions depend on.

“So, when we talk about securing Benue, Plateau and Kogi and the rest, we are, in truth, talking about the food security of over two hundred million Nigerians. That is not an exaggeration. That is the arithmetic of it.” Alia stated.

According to him, the theme of this summit, “Collaborative Approaches to Strengthening Security and Regional Stability,” could not have come at a more critical time than this because Its focus on banditry, farmer-herder conflicts, kidnapping, violent extremism spillover, organised crime and community resilience speaks directly to the realities confronting communities across the North Central region.

The Governor explained that Benue State, and indeed other parts of the North Central, are facing a unique security challenge that requires a collaborative security strategy.

“It is my considered position that our diversity should be a source of strength rather than weakness. What are those things that unite us, and what are those things that divide us and breed insecurity?

“The issues are multidimensional, and as such, the solution must be collaborative. I have said this in different rooms and I will say it again here: the moment we set aside our differences to confront the enemy of insecurity; half the battle is already won.

“But collaboration cannot just live in communiqués. It must reach our traditional institutions and our community leaders — the custodians of our land. They know things we do not know. They hear things before we hear them. Any strategy that leaves them out is, frankly, incomplete.” He said.

Governor Alia revealed that the North Central has the highest level of ethnic diversity in the country. Regardless of our plurality, their underlying culture remains aligned toward peace.

“Our heritage does not breed violence, which is reflected in the proud sobriquets of our states: Benue as “The Food Basket of the Nation”, Kogi as “The Confluence State”, Kwara as the “State of Harmony”, Nasarawa as the “Home of Solid Minerals”, Plateau as the “Home of Peace and Tourism”, Niger as “The Power State”, and Abuja as the “Centre of Unity.

“This convergence is long overdue. When I got wind of this summit, I moved decisively towards securing Benue as the host state. I am glad I took that initiative because the Benue–Plateau axis has historically been a critical reference point for insecurity in the North Central region.

“Let me also add that this initiative by the Ministry of Defence in collaboration with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement is indeed laudable. It is a strategic effort at localizing the framers of insecurity. What does localizing even mean, one might ask? It means we stop pretending that a soldier with a rifle can do the whole job alone. It means intelligence sharing that actually reaches the people who need it. It means engaging our border communities, not just patrolling past them. And it means confronting, honestly, the poverty and idleness that hostile elements are only too willing to exploit.” The Governor said.

The Governor further explained that the Ministry of Defence provides the strategic leadership, coordination and operational framework necessary to safeguard our national security, and over the past three years, the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement, North Central, has also been working deliberately to strengthen community-level security and peacebuilding mechanisms across the region.

Alia said the North Central holds a strategic place in the socioeconomic configuration of Nigeria, this according to him is sacrosanct.

“It is not merely a function of landmass; it is a function of our plurality and the vast economic potential embedded across our territory.

“This gathering is a testament to the unflinching resolve of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to address security challenges across the nation. I urge everyone present to fully identify with the objectives of this summit and commit to implementing its operational outcomes.

“For us in the North Central, this opportunity is golden, and I do not use that word lightly. I have sat through enough summits in my time to know how easily a good speech can substitute for a good outcome. Let this not be one of those. Let it be remembered, instead, for the security architecture it leaves behind — something Benue, and the North Central, and indeed Nigeria, can still point to five years from now.” Alia said.

Standard Times Nigeria reports that Governor’s and Representative of the States of Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Kwara, Kogi, Niger, the Federal Capital Territory , Security Chiefs, Traditional leaders, Religious leaders and various Stakeholders were in attendance to brainstorm and deliberate with the sole aim of bringing out resolutions that were capable of proffering permanent solution to the insecurity that befall North Central Region.