SEMINAR ON THE EFFECT OF GLOBALIZATION ON NATIONAL SECURITY

Abstract

This study is on effect of globalization on national security. The total population for the study is 200 staff of ministry of defense, Abuja. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. A total of 133 respondents made up administrative staff, human resource managers, senior staff and junior staff was used for the study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using graphical representation and chi-square statistics.

INTRODUCTION

While the international order among states is quite strong, the world is not peaceful. In the wake of globalization and the explosion in communication technologies, new security related threats have emerged that are to a great extent independent of national boundaries. As a result, a new kind of war is being waged in every country all over the world; this is because the primary threats to national security have changed fundamentally. They no longer spring from territorial and ideological disputes among nation states but from how far globalization, technological threats and criminal networks have grown to challenge nation states (Zalur & Zeckhauser 2002). In Nigeria today, conflict seem persistent and intractable, moreover after a decade of complacency, we seem to be finally grasping the fact that we are fighting for survival under the shadow of catastrophic dangers. Hence, discussions on Nigerian National Security concept has evolved rapidly because the security environment in which we live is dynamic and uncertain, replete with a host of threats and challenges which are trans-national in nature that have potential to grow more deadly (Pandya &  Laipon, 2008).  Emerging scenario of these trans-national threats which are irrespective of national border and which comprises of a list of different risk factors that seem unending spanning from different trans-national crimes like terrorism, human and drug trafficking, money laundering etc, to widespread environmental degradation, diseases, climate change and even political policies which might threaten our nationals sovereignty (Brainard & Halon, 2004), has further challenged the concept of national security which now pertains to people rather than territories on one hand and development rather than military on the other hand. Now, the notion of national security captures the traditional security and human security. National security is now perceived as total security – security of life and property, security of the economy and the economic resource areas of the country, security of food and raw materials resources, of general health of the people, of environment and national integrity, and preservation of all that society considers to be important and valuable (Imobighe, 2000). Globalization and increased technology has led to the decline of our borders which has led to the  increased vulnerability of Nigeria to their threats and endangers our national security. The Nigeria “Benin border, which is located in the west of our country, is particularly notorious for all sorts of illegal trans-border activities. For this reason, this research work will attempt to discuss Human and drug  trafficking, smuggling of goods and arms proliferation and the dangers they pose to Nigerian national security because these activities are the most common across the Nigeria Benin border. The dilemmas that Nigeria faces with insecurities call for critical investigation of border entry points whether they are performing their strategic functions (Willie, 2008).

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Globalization, have important security implications. Most dangerously, a variety of threats have become global in scope and more serious in their effects as a result of the spread of knowledge, the dispersion of advanced technologies, and the movements of people. These same developments, combined with.  expanding global economic interactions, contribute to some of the problems and resentments that lie at the root of these security threats. But paradoxically, many of those same aspects of globalization offer new opportunities to achieve economic growth and democracy, thereby ameliorating the threats as well as some of their underlying causes. The dangers were clearly manifested in the September 11th terrorist attacks, which showed how the Al Qaeda organization was able effectively to exploit new communications technologies, global financial networks, and the ease of movements of people. The response by the international community has also benefited from some of globalizations effects, primarily in technological advances in communications and in military weaponry. While it is too soon to say definitively, the result of these attacks may be to dampen some of the globalizing trends, as financial interactions receive greater scrutiny and security steps limit the mobility of people. Exploring the many issues raised by the September 11th terrorist attacks is not this papers task, nor is assessing the relationship between terrorism and globalization

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The specific or the main objectives of carrying out this research work includes:

1. i) To examine the effect of globalization on national security
2. ii) To examine the role of globalization in curbing trans-border crime in Nigeria

 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

For the successful completion of the study, the following research hypotheses were formulated by the researcher;

H₀: globalization does not have any significant effect on national security

H₁: globalization does have a significant effect on national security

H₀²: globalization does not play any role in curbing trans-border crime in Nigeria

H₂: globalization does play a role in curbing trans-border crime in Nigeria

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

It is believed that at the completion of the study, the findings will be of great importance to the federal ministry of defense as the study seek to explore the merit of globalization on national security, the study will also be of great importance to Nigeria military and para-military agencies and other security apparatus as the findings of the study will aid them in taking advantage of global information in the discharge of their duty. The study will also be of great importance to students, teachers, academia’s and the general public as the study will contribute to the pool of existing literature on the subject matter and also contribute to knowledge.

Related Project Topics :