Banditry, Insurgency Require More Than Military Force, UI Don Says

A Professor of Psychology at the University of Ibadan, Aderemi Alarape, has called on the Federal Government to adopt non-kinetic security strategies to tackle banditry, insurgency and communal conflicts, stressing that military operations alone cannot resolve the country's security challenges.

Alarape made the call during the 50th anniversary celebration of the university's Department of Psychology, held at the Psychology Rotunda on Tuesday.

Speaking on the theme, “The Economics of Behaviour and Non-Kinetic Security,” he urged the government to incorporate behavioural and psychological insights into public policy, particularly in addressing the underlying factors contributing to insecurity.

He said Nigeria had concentrated heavily on physical infrastructure and military responses while neglecting psychological interventions that could address radicalisation, social conflicts, poverty and other challenges.

According to him, the country needs to invest in rehabilitation, reintegration and psychological support as part of a broader strategy for national security.

“This cannot be solved by the barrel of the gun alone. We must invest in the psychology of radicalisation, rehabilitation, and reintegration,” he said.

The don also proposed the establishment of a National Behavioural Insights Unit to ensure that government policies, ranging from taxation to public health campaigns, reflect a better understanding of human behaviour and decision-making.

He described his proposed Psychology for National Transformation Agenda as a framework for applying psychological science to challenges across government, society, families, education and healthcare.

On family development, Alarape advocated positive parenting practices and community-based family resilience programmes, warning that inadequate support systems could expose children to trauma.

He also called for the integration of school psychology and mental health counselling into the education system to address challenges such as examination malpractice, cultism, depression and suicide among young people.

In the healthcare sector, he urged the government to incorporate psychological services into primary healthcare centres nationwide, describing mental health as a fundamental human right and an essential part of overall wellbeing.

Alarape expressed the department's readiness to partner with state governments to implement psychological interventions in relevant sectors.

Earlier, Professor Nyitor Shenge, who spoke on the role of alumni in developing the department, emphasised the importance of financial contributions, infrastructure, academic partnerships and mentorship in sustaining university programmes.

Shenge traced the department's establishment to 1976, noting that its first set of students graduated during the 1979/80 academic session.

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

He encouraged alumni to support their former institutions through scholarships, research materials, laboratories, internship opportunities and employment connections.

Also speaking, Professor Benjamin Ehigie highlighted the contribution of psychology to national development, particularly in healthcare, education, public administration and national security. He identified trauma care, rehabilitation and reintegration as important interventions in addressing the effects of insurgency and communal violence.