NAPPDRR Calls for Nigeria–U.S. Collaboration to End Insecurity, Protect Forests, Tackle Poverty
By Ekemini Simon
The Network Advancement Program for Poverty and Disaster Risk Reduction (NAPPDRR) has called for urgent, collaborative action between Nigeria and the United States to end the country’s escalating insecurity crisis, restore peace, and protect its fast-depleting forests.
In a statement issued in Abuja, the organisation asked that both countries embrace partnership built on respect and mutual responsibility rather than unilateral action.
The call followed recent comments by U.S. President Donald Trump, who warned that Nigeria must act decisively to curb insurgency and banditry or risk facing consequences.
According to NAPPDRR, Nigeria is “at a crossroads,” with multiple security threats from Boko Haram and ISWAP to widespread banditry and farmer herder conflicts undermining national stability and worsening poverty. The organisation warned that the humanitarian toll, with over 3 million people displaced and an estimated 200,000 killed, has also deepened food insecurity and accelerated environmental degradation.
Hon. Emem Edoho, Founder and Executive Director of NAPPDRR, said that while President Trump’s urgency is commendable, Nigeria’s challenges demand cooperation, not coercion. “Nigeria’s problems require partnership, not paternalism,” she stated. “We urge the Nigerian government to act decisively, engage global allies, and prioritize the vulnerable. Together, we can defeat terror, restore forests, and build a Nigeria where no child sleeps hungry, no farmer fears violence, and our trees stand tall.”
Edoho said that collaboration between the two countries must go beyond rhetoric, beginning with structured dialogue that encourages intelligence sharing, technical training for security personnel, and support for community-led peacebuilding initiatives. She noted that genuine security reform must also confront the root causes of instability, poverty, corruption, and environmental stress through sustained investments in education, agriculture, and renewable energy.
The organisation highlighted that environmental protection should be integrated into national security strategies, calling for the enforcement of anti-logging laws, deployment of forest guards, and empowerment of local communities to defend their natural ecosystems. Edoho said that insecurity and environmental degradation are deeply intertwined, and “stability is the first step toward reforestation and climate resilience.”
Rejecting narratives that polarize Nigerians along religious or ethnic lines, NAPPDRR called for national unity as the foundation for peace and sustainable development. “Security is a shared Nigerian responsibility,” Edoho said. “We must rise above the divisions that terrorists exploit and focus on rebuilding trust among our people.”
The group justified U.S. interest in Nigeria’s crisis on humanitarian and environmental grounds, citing United Nations estimates that over 3 million Nigerians have been displaced, 200,000 killed, and more than a million hectares of forest lost annually. NAPPDRR argued that global stability depends on addressing such crises before they spiral into broader regional conflicts.
While cautioning against any foreign military intervention, NAPPDRR advocated for a cooperative framework that strengthens Nigeria’s capacity to protect its citizens, manage natural resources, and build climate-resilient communities. Edoho concluded by appealing to the international community to “support, but not dictate,” and to Nigerians to “unite, because insecurity thrives on division, but peace demands solidarity.”
NAPPDRR, a Nigerian non-governmental organisation dedicated to poverty alleviation, environmental conservation, climate justice, and disaster risk reduction, reaffirmed its commitment to advancing homegrown solutions to insecurity and ecological decline through inclusive partnerships and policy advocacy.