Insecurity and the Challenges of Development in Nigeria

Abstract

Is it possible to attain any meaningful development without durable peace? Can the goals of vision 20:2020 be achieve in an atmosphere of ethnic, economic, social and religious disharmony and sectarian crises? With these questions in mine, the paper shall seek to find out how insecurity has hampered development in Nigeria. The research observed that, insecurity has the potential of  social dislocation and population displacement, social tensions and new pattern of settlements which encourages Muslims/Christians or members of an ethnic group moving to Muslim/Christian or ethnic dominated enclaves, dehumanization of women, children, and men especially in areas where rape, child abuse and neglect are used as instruments of war deepening of hunger and poverty in the polity and setting an atmosphere of political insecurity and instability including declining confidence in the political leadership and apprehension about the system. In this paper, religious, ethnic and political tolerance among Nigerians, creation of job opportunities to reduced youth restiveness thereby reducing poverty and tracing and tackling the remote, the redevelopment of Nigeria’s educational curriculum include entrepreneurship to reduced over dependence of Nigerian graduates on government jobs to make them self employed after graduation,  and immediate causes of the crises are suggested as ways through which the security challenges in Nigeria can be overcome.

Keywords: Insecurity, development, Consequences, Nigeria