FREEDOM FROM FEAR, FREEDOM FROM WANT: THE HUMAN FACE OF INSECURITY.

FREEDOM FROM FEAR, FREEDOM FROM WANT: THE HUMAN FACE OF INSECURITY.

By Titi Kushimo,

May, 2026

My first encounter with the term, Human Security was during lectures at the Institute for Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ibadan. It was love at first class!

I had missed about a month of intensive classes because of work commitments and by the time I was settled, I got presented with specialization options. Of all the options. Human Security caught my attention.

I knew about Security but which one is Human Security? My inner voice posed the question and I had to find answers.

By a stroke of luck, I had not missed any required courses or assessments linked to the Human Security concentration. I just knew that was the beginning of my journey to purpose.

Learning Human Security, I started seeing everything from the lens of conflict and every conflict from the lens of humans.

When we think about security. We often think about arms, the armed forces and other kinetic elements but Human Security shifts the focus from mere protection of borders and territorial boundaries to PEOPLE. The people are at the centre of Human Security.

This idea protects people’s needs, interests and dignity. That’s deep!

To say a country has attained Human Security, the people must enjoy freedom from fear and freedom from want.

They must have been protected from chronic poverty, diseases, violence and indignity.

Disturbingly, only a few countries of the world have come close to absolute human security. But at least they have fared better and consistently so.

True to my suspicion, these countries are in Europe.

According to combined reports by Hellosafe Global Safety Index and Vision of Humanity Global Peace index, Iceland tops this list and has been ranked the most peaceful place to live in the world despite the absence of military forces.

Switzerland is also on the list as well as Denmark and Norway through high social safety nets, subsidized healthcare and strong policies to protect citizens from the fear of want.

Singapore also features with a low crime rate flanked by advanced economic and health infrastructure.

Honestly, does heaven have branches in Europe?

As an African living in Africa, I’m afraid that the continent is very far away from coming close to Human security.

The prevalence of multidimensional poverty, leading to terrorism, banditry and abductions has condemned many into a perpetual state of trauma.

Insecurity is not only the presence of violence, it’s the absence of emotional, economic and social safety.

Sadly, this is the reality in many parts of Africa today.

Even the giant of Africa, Nigeria, has been dwarfed by prolonged abject poverty of its citizens. Those who loot the treasury simply lack the freedom from want.

It is hard to write as if I’m not a partaker of the fear that we all feel.

The “lucky” ones have escaped to greener pastures in an avalanche of japa fad only to remain emotionally trapped and continue to carry the burden of uncertainty that home represents.

Before plastering campaign posters on roundabouts, or sharing their ritual bags of rice and wheelbarrows, the political class needs to start asking the difficult questions like, can the ordinary citizen live without constant fear and deprivation?

To take Human Security seriously is to tackle these two areas decisively:

1.Freedom from fear which has to do with protecting people from violent attacks, abuse, and physical harm.

2. Freedom from want which means addressing threats to human dignity such as poverty, unemployment and weak healthcare.

People aren’t asking for perfect nations but they deserve basic dignity and environments where they feel safe enough to hope.