Insecurity and National Development in Nigeria
CHAPTER ONE
OBJECTIVES OF STUDY
The objective of the research study will be to investigate on insecurity in Nigeria and its effect on Nigeria’s national development. It tends to study how insecurity has served as a backdrop to Nigeria’s national development under the administration of President Buhari (2019-2020). The research study aims to gather and analyze data that will lead to achieving the main goal of the research study. Thus the specific objectives of the research study will be-
- To determine the impact of insecurity on national development.
- To determine the roles played by government in curbing insecurity in Nigeria.
- To examine the effects of curbing insecurity on Nigeria’s national development.
- To determine the measures to adopt in eradicating the problem of insecurity in Nigeria.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
DEFINING INSECURITY
There are different approaches to define security which is the opposite of insecurity. This research study therefore seeks to examine the concept of security to facilitate a good understanding of the concept of insecurity. Security need was the basis of the social contract between the people and the state, in which people willingly surrendered their rights to an organ (government) who oversees the survival of all (Ewetan & Urhie, 2014:42). In this light security embodies the mechanism put in place to avoid, prevent, reduce, or resolve violent conflicts, and threats that originate from other states, non-state actors, or structural socio-political and economic conditions (Stan, 2004:6). Security in an objective sense, measures the absence of threats to acquire values, in subjective sense, the absence of fear that such values will be attacked (Wolfrs, 1962:1). For decades, issues relating to security were on the front burner in the development discourse. Several attempts have been made since the cold war ended to redefine the concept of security from a state-centric perspective to a broader view that places premium on individuals, in which human security that embodies elements of national security, human rights and national development remain major barometer for explaining the concept. At the heart of this debate there have been attempts to deepen and widen the concept of security from the level of the states to societies and individuals, and from military to non-military issues (Nwanegbo and Odigbo, 2013; Kruhmann, 2003:34). Some scholars in conceptualizing security placed emphasis on the absence of threats to peace, stability, national cohesion, political and socio-economic objectives of a country (Igbuzor, 2011:1; Oche, 2001:1; Nwanegbo and Odigbo, 2013:34). Thus there is a general consensus in the contemporary literature that security is vital for national cohesion, peace and sustainable development. It is therefore apparent that national security is a desideratum, sine qua non for economic growth and development of any country (Oladeji and Folorunso, 2007:41). In the intelligence community there is a consensus that security is not the absence of threats or security issues, but the existence of a robust mechanism to respond proactively to the challenges posed by these threats with expediency, expertise, and in real time.
MEANING OF DEVELOPMENT
Development also means security. A onetime World Bank President, Robert McNamara in his ‘The essence of security”, insisted that national security “means development. Security is not military hardware, though it may include it, security is not a military force, though it may involve it, security is not traditional military activity, though it may encompass it. Security is development, and without development there can be no security.” According to him, as “development progresses, security progresses, and when the people of a nation. However, Sen (1999:2) observed the centrality of freedom in the process of development. For him, development requires the removal of major sources of unfreedom: poverty as well as tyranny, poor economic opportunities as well as systematic social deprivation, neglect of public facilities as well as intolerance or over-activity of repressive states (Sen, 1999:3).
Understandably, security and development are two different concepts but tend to affect each other, making both concepts in separable. This relationship has recently triggered debates on security –development nexus (see Chandler, 2007; Stan, 2004).
MEANING OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
National, according to Longman dictionary of contemporary English, refers to a phenomenon that embraces a whole nation. National development therefore can be defined as the general development or a collective socio-economic, political as well as religious improvement of a country or nation.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The research study adopts qualitative research method. Thus, the study will rely on the use of secondary data collection in gathering relevant information. Explicitly, the research gathers its data from text books, journals, internet, newspapers, magazines and official publications. The research study will adopt descriptive analysis in the interpretation of data.
CHAPTER FOUR
REFERENCES
- Abimbola, J. & Adesote,A. (2012). Domsetic Terrorism and Bokoharm Insurgency, Issues and trends. Ibadan: Cenren Publications.
- Achumba. (2013). Securities Challenges in Nigeria and the Implications for Business Activities and Sustainable Development. Journal of Economics and Sustainable Development, 4(2), 79-99.
- Beland, D. (2005). The Political Construction of Collective Insecurity: From Moral Panic to Blame Avoidance and Organized Irresponsibility. Center for European Studies, Working Paper Series 126.
- Chandler, D. (2007). The Security-Development Nexus and the Rise of Anti-Foreign Policy. Journal of International Relations and Development, 10, 362-386.
- Justice Chidi (2014). Kidnapping in Nigeria: An Emerging Social Crime and Implication for the Labour Market. International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences.
- Ehigiamusoen & Ogbonnaya. (2013). Militancy and Bokoharam Insurgency: National Security in Nigeria, Global Security studies. National Institute for Legislative Studies.
- Ewetan.o., & Ese. (2014). Insecurity and Socio Economic Development in Nigeria. Journal of Sustainable Development Studies.
- Ewetan, O. (2011). Fiscal Federalism and Macroeconomic Performance in Nigeria. Ph.D Thesis, Covenant University. Department of Economics and Development Studies.
