Under Siege: How Nigeria’s Escalating Insecurity is Devastating Women, Children, and Marginalized Communities

In recent years, Nigeria has faced an alarming surge in insecurity, with devastating consequences for women, children, and vulnerable populations. What was once primarily a regional insurgency has evolved into a nationwide crisis—one that now demands urgent and transformative intervention.

A Nation Under Threat

From the Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast to Fulani extremist attacks across the Middle Belt and foreign terrorist infiltrations from the Sahel and northern borders, Nigeria’s security architecture is collapsing under the weight of multiple, overlapping threats.

• Boko Haram, an Islamist militant group, continues to target schools, abduct students, and destroy rural communities. Since its emergence, it has displaced over 2 million people, with women and girls being abducted, forced into marriage, or used as suicide bombers.

• Fulani extremist herdsmen, once seen as localized actors in farmer-herder conflicts, have become more organized and violent. Attacks on villages—often at night—have resulted in mass killings, destruction of farmland, and the creation of ghost towns in central Nigeria.

• Terrorists entering through Nigeria’s porous northern borders, particularly from Chad, Niger, and Mali, bring in arms, radical ideologies, and training from broader transnational networks. These actors are hard to trace and extremely difficult to contain without proper border controls.

These groups exploit weak governance, poverty, and community disunity, making rural areas especially vulnerable. Women and children bear the brunt of these assaults—often subjected to sexual violence, economic displacement, and educational disruption.

The Toll on Women and Children

The gendered impact of insecurity cannot be overstated:

• Girls are being pulled out of school due to abduction fears or forced marriage.

• Women face increased risk of GBV (Gender-Based Violence) in refugee camps and conflict zones.

• Children are recruited by armed groups, indoctrinated, or forced into labor to survive.

According to UNICEF, Nigeria now has over 18 million out-of-school children, the highest in the world, with conflict accounting for a significant portion of that statistic. The cycle of poverty and trauma created by violence is long-lasting, and without targeted intervention, entire generations are being left behind.

Could a Border Wall Help?

While controversial, the idea of a security-enhanced border wall or fencing system along Nigeria’s northern frontiers deserves careful consideration. As it stands, the borders remain wide open, allowing:

• The free flow of militants

• Smuggling of arms and ammunition

• Escalation of violence across regions

A fortified, tech-enabled border wall—combined with proper surveillance drones, check posts, and biometric entry points—could drastically reduce infiltration. This alone won’t end Nigeria’s insecurity, but it could limit the spread of extremist networks and allow the military to focus on internal threats.

🇳🇬 What the Government Must Do

A multi-pronged, proactive approach is critical:

1. Strengthen border security with modern surveillance and international cooperation.

2. Implement community-based early warning systems, especially in rural and high-risk zones.

3. Invest in the Safe Schools Initiative, ensuring every child—especially girls—can access education without fear.

4. Prosecute and disarm armed groups, while offering rehabilitation to low-risk returnees.

5. Empower women as peacebuilders, offering trauma support, livelihood programs, and leadership roles in conflict resolution.

Uche NextGEN's Role

At Uche NextGEN Foundation, we believe security is a right, not a privilege. We are actively working to:

• Provide educational and economic alternatives for women and youth in conflict-prone communities

• Advocate for policy changes that prioritize gender-responsive security strategies

• Partner with grassroots organizations to provide trauma healing, resilience training, and youth empowerment

Call to Action

This is not just a northern problem. It is a national emergency. The time for political will, decisive leadership, and community resilience is now. Nigeria’s women and children deserve to live free from fear—and with your help, Uche NextGEN can continue fighting for that vision.

Join the mission. Share the message. Support the change.