The Use of Peace Economics in Promoting the Socio-Economic Growth of Nigeria

Abstract

The current democratic rule in Nigeria has continued to witness more horrors and terrifying encounters. It has witnessed, more than the military rule and the civil war had experienced going down the memory lane of the past historical antecedents of the Nigerian nation and taking stock of the series of the happenings since the inception of the present 4^th Republic. Across the six geo-political zones are daily cases of armed conflict, impasse of violence, regional demands and agitations that compromise disintegration and divisive tendencies and test of the Nigerian nation state. To resolve the aggregate of the emerging and growing agitations, the series of conflict issues, social insecurity and backlashes from the Nigerian communities has taken so much toll on the polity and the economy aside of the tensed and severed human relations that are suffered. The cost of all these in human terms, and in response to the conflicts have come with devastations across the varying sectors of the economy. It is but against these backdrops, that this study has endeavored to look into few of the cases of social insecurity and what impact they have on the Nigerian economy, unearth the poor response pattern and the chain of hostile reactions to the conflict handling styles, and, the cost on postconflict rehabilitation despite the need for such. Lastly, the study has recommended among others, that the installation of a stable peace could only be achieved, if a multi-track approach of teamwork and positive role-playing are all encouraged to promote a virile and vibrant economy that improves the per capital income of the country and the earning powers of individuals and businesses in addition to promoting social cohabitation among the entire Nigerian populace.

Key Words: Conflict, Nonviolence Resistance, Peace Economics, Socio - Economics, Human Development, Security, Peacebuilding, Postconflict