Attacks on farming communities, oil installations, electricity transmission facilities and telecommunications infrastructure are disrupting essential services, raising economic costs and discouraging long-term investment in Nigeria, the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) has warned.
The group called on the government, private sector and local communities to work together to address the country’s persistent security challenges, noting that insecurity continues to undermine economic productivity, erode investor confidence and threaten sustainable growth.
According to the NESG, insecurity has evolved beyond a challenge to public safety into a major economic constraint, affecting the country’s ability to expand production, attract capital, create jobs and improve the living standards of its citizens.
“Where security fails, productivity collapses, investment retreats, and development stalls,” the group said in a statement issued on Sunday by its Head of Strategic Communication and Advocacy, Ayanyinka Ayanlowo.
The statement was released ahead of the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit, scheduled to hold in Abuja later this month, where policymakers, business leaders, security experts and development partners are expected to discuss strategies for strengthening the country’s economic resilience.
The NESG maintained that Nigeria’s economic development ambitions would remain difficult to achieve without substantial improvements in national security, noting that businesses require a stable operating environment to invest, expand production and create employment opportunities.
It warned that persistent insecurity was increasing Nigeria’s investment risk profile, forcing businesses to contend with higher operating and financing costs while discouraging investors from committing capital to long-term productive ventures.
The group explained that uncertainty surrounding the safety of investments could reduce capital inflows, weaken business expansion and encourage investors to favour short-term opportunities over projects capable of generating employment and sustained economic returns.
It therefore called for measures that would not only reduce insecurity-related economic losses but also demonstrate to domestic and international investors that Nigeria remained a viable destination for long-term capital.
Insecurity Disrupting Agriculture, Worsening Food Crisis
The NESG identified agricultural disruption, crude oil theft and the vandalism of critical infrastructure as major channels through which insecurity was undermining Nigeria’s economic performance.
In the agricultural sector, the group expressed concern that banditry, terrorism and farmer-herder conflicts had displaced millions of agricultural households, particularly in the North-West, North-Central and North-East regions.
The attacks, it said, had forced farmers to abandon their farmlands, reduced cultivated areas and disrupted agricultural activities, with consequences for food production, rural livelihoods and the availability of essential food commodities.
The development has also intensified concerns about food insecurity, as disruptions to farming and agricultural supply chains threaten food availability and place additional pressure on household incomes and the cost of living.
The group cited warnings from the World Food Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organisation about the severity of food insecurity in Nigeria, stressing the need to restore safe access to farmlands and protect agricultural communities.
To address the situation, the NESG said the forthcoming summit would examine practical measures for improving security in farming areas, including community-based security arrangements, the strategic deployment of law enforcement personnel along agricultural corridors and the use of technology-driven early warning systems.
Such interventions, it noted, would help identify emerging threats, improve responses to attacks and create a safer environment for farmers to resume production.
The group also emphasised the importance of protecting agricultural activities as part of broader efforts to strengthen food security, support rural economic development and reduce the economic consequences of persistent violence.
Oil Theft Threatens Revenue, Foreign Exchange
The NESG also raised concerns about the impact of insecurity on Nigeria’s petroleum industry, particularly the continued theft of crude oil and attacks on oil installations.
It warned that crude oil theft was depriving the country of substantial export earnings and foreign exchange, with losses during certain periods reaching hundreds of thousands of barrels daily.
Beyond the immediate loss of revenue, the group said insecurity in oil-producing areas had constrained production growth, discouraged fresh investment and increased the cost of repairing damaged facilities.
These challenges, it noted, could undermine the country’s ability to maximise the economic benefits of its petroleum resources at a time when export earnings and foreign exchange inflows remain important to overall economic stability.
The NESG called for stronger monitoring technologies, greater transparency in upstream petroleum operations and tougher enforcement against networks involved in crude oil theft.
It also advocated greater economic inclusion of communities in the Niger Delta, arguing that local participation in economic opportunities should form part of a broader strategy to improve security and protect critical petroleum infrastructure.
The group’s proposals suggest that addressing oil-related insecurity requires a combination of effective law enforcement, improved industry oversight and measures that give host communities a greater stake in the protection and development of their economic environment.
Attacks on Power, Telecoms Infrastructure Raise Business Costs
The economic group expressed further concern over repeated attacks on electricity transmission facilities and telecommunications installations, warning that the destruction of such assets could have far-reaching consequences for businesses, households and public institutions.
According to the NESG, attacks on critical infrastructure disrupt electricity supply, digital transactions, emergency communications and commercial activities, thereby increasing the cost of doing business and weakening economic productivity.
Electricity and telecommunications services are essential to the functioning of industries, financial institutions, small businesses and public services. Disruptions to these networks can interrupt production, delay transactions and undermine the reliability of services on which businesses and households depend.
The group said the summit would consider a comprehensive infrastructure protection framework combining physical security, community engagement, rapid-response repairs and stronger legal deterrents against vandalism.
It stressed that safeguarding critical infrastructure should be treated as an economic priority, given the substantial resources required to replace damaged equipment and restore disrupted services.
A more coordinated approach, it added, would help limit losses, improve the resilience of essential networks and protect the investments required to support economic expansion.
NESG Seeks Action Beyond Military Operations
While acknowledging the importance of security operations, the NESG argued that military and law enforcement interventions alone would not provide a lasting solution to the country’s insecurity.
The group identified poverty, unemployment, inequality and social exclusion as underlying factors that could contribute to instability, calling for economic and social policies that address these challenges alongside efforts to strengthen law enforcement.
It maintained that sustainable security would require cooperation among government institutions, businesses, security agencies and local communities, with each stakeholder playing a role in preventing violence, protecting productive activities and expanding economic opportunities.
The NESG argued that stronger coordination would help ensure that security measures were supported by policies designed to improve livelihoods, promote inclusion and reduce the conditions that make communities vulnerable to persistent violence.
It further emphasised that economic development and national security should be pursued as complementary objectives rather than separate policy priorities.
“Security and development are not alternatives, they are complements. A Nigeria that invests in both will be more stable, more productive, and more prosperous,” the statement added.
Summit to Focus on Security, Jobs and Shared Prosperity
The 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit, themed Growth that Works: Delivering Jobs, Productivity and Shared Prosperity, is scheduled to hold on October 26 and 27, 2026, at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja.
A major component of the gathering will be the Secure Nigeria dialogue, which is expected to bring together policymakers, security experts, business leaders, community representatives and development partners to develop strategies for protecting productive activities, critical infrastructure and investor confidence.
The discussions are expected to focus on how improved security can support agricultural production, strengthen the petroleum sector, protect essential infrastructure and create a more predictable environment for investment.
For the NESG, the central challenge is to ensure that security policies translate into tangible economic gains by protecting livelihoods, reducing business risks and enabling enterprises to operate and expand.
The group’s warning underscores the close relationship between security and economic performance, particularly in a country seeking to expand employment, improve productivity and deliver more broadly shared prosperity.
As preparations for the summit continue, the NESG is calling for a unified national response that combines effective security measures with economic reforms and social interventions, arguing that lasting stability will be essential to unlocking Nigeria’s productive potential and sustaining long-term growth.