Banditry, insurgency need more than military force – UI don

A professor of Psychology at the University of Ibadan,  Aderemi Alarape, has urged the Federal Government to employ non-kinetic security approaches to counter the challenges of banditry, insurgency, and communal strife.

Alarape gave the advice during the 50th anniversary of the Department of Psychology of the university, held at the Psychology Rotunda, UI, on Tuesday.

Speaking on “The Economics of Behaviour and Non-Kinetic Security,” the don said “, The government must integrate behavioural and psychological insights into public policy-making. This cannot be solved by the barrel of the gun alone. We must invest in the psychology of radicalisation, rehabilitation, and reintegration.

“Furthermore, government must establish a National Behavioural Insights Unit to ensure that policies (from taxation to health campaigns) are designed with a deep understanding of human behaviour and decision-making.”

He said Nigeria had concentrated on physical infrastructure and military approaches to security at the expense of psychological interventions capable of addressing the underlying causes of insecurity, poverty, social conflicts and other national challenges.

“The country needs a shift in its development strategy to recognise the importance of psychological science in addressing problems across government, society, families, education and healthcare.

“For too long, Nigeria has focused heavily on physical infrastructure while neglecting psychological infrastructure.

“We have focused on kinetic approaches to security while underutilising non-kinetic, psychological strategies. We have attempted economic reforms without understanding the behavioural and cognitive barriers that keep citizens in poverty.

“Today, as a university don, I am proposing a paradigm shift. I am proposing the ‘Psychology for National Transformation Agenda.’ This is a blueprint for how psychological science can directly solve Nigeria’s most nagging challenges,” he said.

The don argued that banditry, insurgency and communal conflicts could not be resolved through military operations alone, urging the government to invest in the psychology of radicalisation, rehabilitation and reintegration.

Alarape also advocated psychological interventions to promote empathy, emotional intelligence and peaceful coexistence among Nigerians.

On family development, he called for positive parenting practices and community-based family resilience programmes, warning that inadequate support for families could expose children to trauma.

He said the department was ready to partner with state governments to implement relevant interventions.

The don further advocated the integration of school psychology and mental health counselling into the education system to address examination malpractice, cultism, depression and suicide among young people.

He said the concept of neuroplasticity showed that individuals could develop their abilities through learning and experience.

On healthcare, the don called for the integration of psychological services into primary healthcare centres nationwide, stressing that mental health was a fundamental human right and an essential component of overall wellbeing.

In his presentation, titled “The Role of Alumni in the Development of the Department of Psychology, University of Ibadan,” Prof Nyitor Shenge said alumni were indispensable to the sustainable development of academic departments, particularly through financial contributions, infrastructure, academic partnerships and mentorship.

Shenge, who traced the establishment of the department to 1976, said it graduated its first set of students in the 1979/80 academic session.

He noted that the department introduced its Master’s in Managerial Psychology programme in 1996 and the Legal, Criminological and Security Psychology programme in the 2002/2003 academic session.

He said alumni could contribute to departmental growth by providing scholarships, laboratories, research materials, internship opportunities and employment connections, while also advocating for their institutions within government, professional associations and regulatory bodies.

“Alumni are not just past students; they are stakeholders, funders, mentors and marketers. A department without an active alumni association dies, while one with an active alumni association thrives,” he said.

Also speaking, Prof. Benjamin Ehigie highlighted the national significance of psychology, saying the discipline could contribute to healthcare delivery, national security, education, public administration and workforce productivity. He identified trauma care, rehabilitation and reintegration as important interventions in addressing the effects of insurgency and communal violence.