Historical mistrust, land-grabbing, banditry, and illegal mining are major drivers of violence across Nigeria’s North Central region, a senior presidential aide said on Monday after President Bola Tinubu received security and development briefings from his Community Engagement team.

Speaking after the meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (North Central), Dr. Abiodun Essiet, said the delegation presented a consolidated assessment of security pressures, infrastructure challenges, and public responses to government policies across the geopolitical zones.

“Our briefing focused heavily on insecurity, and we identified historical mistrust, land-grabbing, banditry, and illegal mining as major triggers of violence. The President has promised to strengthen peace structures and ensure our communities are safe,” Essiet said.

She disclosed that community peace structures have been established in 121 local government areas, 32 in Niger, 21 in Kogi, and 23 in Benue, with deployments scheduled this week across all 17 LGAs in Plateau State. The structures will involve traditional rulers, farmers’ groups, Fulani associations, youth, and women.

Essiet also linked rising insecurity to poor road networks, particularly along the Kogi–Kwara corridor, which she said bandits exploit.
She noted that the President had assured the team that relevant ministries would address the issue.

In her report, the Special Assistant for the Southeast, Barr. Chioma Nweze, said the zone had set up a Citizens’ Assembly to strengthen community engagement and deepen understanding of government policies.

She said new ministerial appointments and road projects were restoring public confidence of federal presence in the region.

“It’s been long since we saw federal presence in the Southeast. But now, we are seeing a lot of road construction courtesy of this administration,” Nweze said.

She added that the long-standing Monday sit-at-home order was easing and that the President had pledged support for skills and agricultural programmes across the Southeast’s 95 LGAs.

For the Northwest, Abdullahi Tanko-Yakassai said his briefing focused on reducing the region’s high number of out-of-school children.

He said his office had enrolled vulnerable children in primary schools and provided uniforms, books and learning materials.

He noted improved agricultural output this season, though limited access to fertiliser remained a challenge, and said the President had promised intervention.

Yakassai also reported ongoing voter-registration mobilisation and public sensitisation on the student loan scheme and tax reforms.

“We are the bridge between the Federal Government and the grassroots,” he said.

From the Southwest, Omoremi Ojudu described the discussions as “insightful,” noting that the President emphasised expanding National Identification Number (NIN) enrolment as a foundation for lifelong identification.

She said sensitisation efforts would be intensified to deepen understanding of the Renewed Hope Agenda and support peacebuilding.

“We owe it to ourselves to safeguard this country. We have nowhere else to go,” Ojudu said. She added that the President instructed the team to work closely with key actors on livestock reforms in the North Central.

Representatives for the South-South and North-East zones were absent due to official engagements.

The Presidential Community Engagement Team was established to drive grassroots mobilisation and provide real-time feedback to the Presidency on policy implementation nationwide. Monday’s briefing formed part of the team’s routine consultations with the President.