Campaign launched amid rising insecurity

Amid growing concerns over insecurity, recurring abductions and attacks on communities across Nigeria, the Partnership Against Violent Extremism (PAVE) Network has launched a nationwide civic advocacy campaign aimed at pushing for stronger protection of lives and more accountable security responses.

The initiative was unveiled in Abuja on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, and is scheduled to run for 30 days under the theme “Protect Nigerian Lives: End Abductions, Strengthen Communities and Stop the Politicisation of Insecurity.”

According to the organisation, the campaign is designed to move public engagement beyond outrage and focus attention on practical actions capable of strengthening community resilience and improving security governance.

PAVE Network said Nigeria’s insecurity challenge continues to affect communities through abductions, violent extremism, organised criminality, attacks on schools and growing threats to livelihoods.

Focus on civic action and policy engagement

As part of the campaign activities, the network plans to coordinate a national petition, media engagement, state and national town halls, youth and women mobilisation, and policy engagement with State Houses of Assembly on constitutional discussions around state police.

The organisation said long-term solutions to insecurity must involve both government action and active citizen participation, framing the campaign as a platform for sustained public engagement rather than a short-term reaction.

PAVE said the campaign would be implemented through its national and state structures, alongside affiliated platforms including Youth Against Violent Extremism, Women Against Violent Extremism and Media Against Violent Extremism.

The network also called on citizens, labour groups, professional associations, civil society organisations, faith leaders and community actors to join the campaign and reinforce its message that protecting lives must remain a national priority.

Debate around state police and safeguards

While acknowledging ongoing conversations around decentralised policing, the organisation stressed that any framework for state police must include safeguards against political interference, abuse of power, profiling and violations of human rights.

The position reflects broader constitutional discussions around policing reform, which the campaign intends to engage through outreach to State Houses of Assembly.

PAVE’s emphasis on safeguards highlights its concern that security reforms must not create new risks for communities already affected by violence and insecurity.

The network said accountability and rights protections should remain central to any decentralised security arrangement.

Local institutions seen as first responders

The organisation argued that strengthening local government systems remains central to improving community security, noting that local institutions are often the first line of response for early warning, peacebuilding and service delivery.

According to PAVE, stronger local institutions can help communities respond more effectively to threats while supporting long-term resilience.

The campaign places community-level engagement alongside national advocacy, reflecting the organisation’s view that security governance must work from both the grassroots and policy levels.

Through the 30-day initiative, PAVE is seeking to build wider civic pressure for reforms that protect lives and improve the way insecurity is addressed across the country.