Universities Must Deepen Interdisciplinary Research to Address Nigeria’s Insecurity, Says Adogame
Funmi Ogundare
A Professor of Religion and Society at Princeton Theological Seminary, New Jersey, United States, Afe Adogame, has called on Nigerian universities and researchers to deepen interdisciplinary research and collaboration, as part of efforts to understand and address the country’s security challenges.
Adogame stated this on Monday, at the 2026 conference of the African Universities Seminar Series Nigeria (AUSS-NG), hosted by the Institute for African and Diaspora Studies (IADS), University of Lagos (UNILAG), on the theme, ‘Citizenship, Belonging and Geographies of Conflict in Contemporary Nigeria.’
In his keynote titled, ‘Holy Violence, Unholy Embrace: The Intersection of Religious Conflict and Insecurity,’ Adogame said that universities have an important role to play in generating the knowledge required to understand the complex factors driving conflicts and violence in Nigeria.
He said the country’s insecurity could not be adequately explained from a single academic discipline, stressing the need for researchers to examine its political, economic, religious, social, historical and structural dimensions.
“No one theory, no one approach can best explain this variety of conflicts and violence that we find,” he said.
According to him, researchers should move beyond disciplinary boundaries and investigate both the immediate and remote causes of security challenges, including the historical and social contexts in which they occur.
Using kidnapping as an example, Adogame said that scholars need to examine its historical evolution, as well as the endogenous and exogenous factors responsible for its persistence.
He also urged researchers to pay greater attention to case studies and local contexts, noting that similar conflicts could have different meanings and manifestations in different communities.
“Context matters,” he stated, urging scholars to study specific cases before drawing broader theoretical conclusions about conflict and violence.
The don said such an approach would require stronger collaboration among scholars across disciplines, institutions and geographical locations.
The conference also highlighted the role of academic networks in strengthening research capacity and contributing to national development.
The Director of the African Peacebuilding and Developmental Dynamics (APDD) Programme of the Social Science Research Council (SSRC), New York, Cyril Obi, said a proposed national entity comprising former and current APDD fellows would help build a stronger scholarly community focused on peace, development and security.
He said the initiative would facilitate collaboration among Nigerian and other African scholars and practitioners, strengthen research expertise and contribute to scholarly publications and policy development.
He added that the initiative would ultimately be expanded to other parts of Africa.
Also speaking, the Co-Chair of AUSS-NG and lecturer in the Department of English and Literary Studies, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Dr. Joyce Agofure said that the conference was designed to deepen understanding of the different dimensions of conflict and explore ways of transforming conflicts and building sustainable peace.
She said the discussions would examine grievances and underlying issues associated with resource, land and grazing-related conflicts, among others.
Agofure called for inclusive governance, responsible institutions and greater community participation in addressing the causes of conflict.
She said the gathering was particularly significant given the security challenges and grievances confronting the country.
An Associate Professor at the University of Jos, Dr Jimam Lar, also called for rethinking of citizenship education and national integration, arguing that residency rather than indigeneity should form the basis for citizens to access rights and opportunities across Nigeria.
Lar said a Nigerian should be able to enjoy the benefits and rights available in any part of the country where he or she resides, irrespective of ethnic or ancestral ties to the area.
He also warned against the politicisation of ethnicity, arguing that Nigeria’s cultural diversity should be harnessed as a strength rather than manipulated to promote exclusion and conflict.