Terrorism: A New Challenge to Nigeria`S Stability in the 21st Century

Abstract

This paper examined the threat and vulnerability to terrorism in Nigeria. This implies the country will react differently, based on its unique perception of the threat. It furthermore implies that the Nigerian interpretation of the reason, threat and impact of terrorism will differ from that of other parts of the world. On the other hand, Nigeria cannot isolate itself from developments relating to the threat of terrorism in other parts of the world because factors such as globalisation, post 9/11, radicalization of religious doctrine, social media networking and the impact of United States, China and Russia`s foreign policies in developing countries directly influence perception, formation and radicalisation that extend beyond national, or even continental borders. Nigeria is a far most populous country in Africa being Africa’s largest oil producer. The religious and political tensions between the main religious populations and ethnic nationalities, inequality and social justice are persistent and often breed political violence. Evidence of successful propagandizing by either side is an explosive source of such violence. The aim of the paper is to find out how Nigeria can tackle the menace of inequality and security challenges that breed terrorism.

Keywords: Religious Radicalization, Political Violence, Inequality, Resource Control Terrorism and Security Challenges