VIOLENCE AND INSECURITY AND THE CHALLENGE OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

CHAPETR ONE

1.0   INTRODUCTION 

1.1        Background of the study

1.2        Statement of problem

1.3        Objective of the study

1.4        Research Hypotheses

1.5        Significance of the study

1.6        Scope and limitation of the study

1.7       Definition of terms

1.8       Organization of the study

CHAPETR TWO

2.0   LITERATURE REVIEW

 

CHAPETR THREE

3.0        Research methodology

3.1    sources of data collection

3.3        Population of the study

3.4        Sampling and sampling distribution

3.5        Validation of research instrument

3.6        Method of data analysis

CHAPTER FOUR

DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

4.1 Introductions

4.2 Data analysis

CHAPTER FIVE

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Summary

5.3 Conclusion

5.4 Recommendation

Appendix

Abstract

This study examines the pertinent issue of insecurity in Nigeria and its implication for socio-economic development. Available data on the level and dimensions of insecurity in Nigeria reveals an increase over time, which constitutes serious threat to lives and properties, hinders business activities and discourages local and foreign investors, all which stifles and retards Nigeria’s socio-economic development. This rising wave of insecurity has not abated but has assumed a dangerous dimension which is threatening the corporate existence of the country as one geographical entity. In the light of the above the paper recommends that government must be proactive in dealing with security issues and threats, through modern methods of intelligence gathering, and sharing among security personnel, training, logistics, motivation, and deploying advanced technology in managing security challenges. The real solution lies in government accelerating the pace of economic development through creating an economy with relevant social, economic and physical infrastructure to support business and industrial growth.

 

 

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION 

• Background of the study

According to Omoyibo and Akpomera (2013), security is a concept that is prior to the state, and the state exists in order to provide that concept. Security is the prime responsibility of the state (Thomas Hobbes, 1996). The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria specifically states that “The security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government”. Unfortunately, government on this constitutional responsibility has failed to provide a secured and safe environment for lives, properties and the conduct of business and economic activities. The alarming level of insecurity in Nigeria has fuelled the crime rate and terrorists attacks in different parts of the country, leaving unpalatable consequences for the nation‟s economy and its growth. To address the threat to national security and combat the increasing waves of crime the federal government in the 2013 budget made a huge allocation to security, and the national assembly passed the Anti-Terrorism Act in 2011 (Ewetan, 2013). Despite these efforts, the level of insecurity in the country is still high, and a confirmation of this is the low ranking of Nigeria in the Global Peace Index (GPI, 2012). Despite the plethora of security measures taken to address the daunting challenges of insecurity in Nigeria, government efforts have not produced the desired positive result.This has compelled the Nigerian government in recent time to request for foreign assistance from countries such as USA, Israel, and EU countries to combat the rising waves of terrorism and insecurity. Amidst the deteriorating security situation in the country, Nigeria is also confronted with daunting developmental challenges which pose serious threat to socio-economic development. These developmental challenges include endemic rural and urban poverty, high rate of unemployment, debilitating youth unemployment, low industrial output, unstable and deteriorating exchange rate, high inflation rate, inadequate physical and social infrastructure, very large domestic debt, and rising stock of external debt (Ewetan, 2013) According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria‟s unemployment rate increased to 23.9 percent in 2011 compared with 21.1 per cent in 2010 and 19.7 per cent in 2009. The country has a youth population of 80 million, representing about 60 per cent of the total population with a growth rate of 2.6 per cent per year, and the national demography suggests that the youth population remains vibrant with an average annual entrant to the labour force at 1.8 million between 2006 and 2011. In 2011, 37.7 per cent of Nigerian were aged 15-24 years and 22.4 per cent of those between ages 25 and 44 were willing to work but did not get jobs. The current level of social insecurity is alarming and unacceptable. The United Nations Children’s Fund reports that every day, Nigeria loses about 2,300 under-five year olds and 145 women of childbearing age, making the country the second largest contributor to the under-five and maternal mortality rates in the world. A greater proportion of the population do not have access to pipe borne water, health care facilities, electricity and affordable quality education. Although Nigeria is a signatory to the UN resolution on the MDG goals the attainment of these goals by 2015 remains elusive and doubtful (Ewetan, 2013). Against this background, this paper therefore seeks to examine the pertinent issue of national insecurity, a crisis of the Nigerian state, and its implication for Nigeria‟s socio-economic development Nigeria in recent time has witnessed a lot of violent eruption and general insecurityin nearly all the states of the federation. Prominent among such is the Boko Haram insurgency in the North Eastern part of the country. Kidnapping and all forms of maladies, militia groups exist in all geopolitical zones. This has resulted in a lot of bloodsheds, senseless killings, destruction of property, social and economic dislocation and its attendant poverty, insecurity, unemployment etc. The economic and political situation in the country has disempowered both the urban and rural poor. According to Akhakpe, Fatile and Igbokwe-Ibeto (2012) no nation can really boast of having achieved development if a larger percentage of its inhabitants are still wallowing under abject poverty, want and adept in socio-economic penury. The failure of economic and political  leadership in the country to tackle and resolve the hydra-heated socio-political and economic crisis bedeviling the nation since independence has resulted into insecurity in the land. Yet the policy of bringing together by administrative fiat of British colonialist such a large number of heterogeneous people with their different cultural and political systems, languages, religion etc was bound to be inherently conflict and crisis prone. Since then, the country has struggled to achieve unity in diversity. National integration has remained elusive, yet it is needed to achieve the universal goal of development, that is, the pursuit of people’s welfare and wellbeing. Following these development, members of different ethnic nationalities have become aware of their separate identities because of the sporadic occurrence of episodic social interpretation of intergroup relations (See Sanda, 1999). The intense communal and religious conflict have led to the formation and operations of several militia groups prominent among them include , Bakassi Boys, Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Oodua People Congress (OPC), Egbesu Boys, Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), Movement for the Emancipation Niger Delta (MEND) and more recently Boko Haram. These Militia groups have become an enclave for the army of jobless youths. Peace, security and protection of lives and properties is the primary responsibilities of government anywhere in the world be it military or civilian administration. The persistent ethnoreligious crisis in the country and the enormous security challenges it poses has made the country a fragile state. A fragile state refers to state where the government cannot deliver its core function and responsibilities to its people (Albert, 2004). Nigeria is a plural and heterogeneous state with over 350 ethnic groups with the Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba and Igbos making the majority tribes (The New York Times, 2012). Since independence in 1960, the country has witnessed over three decades of military dictatorship. This period was not devoid of sectarian crises and other issues of insecurity. Statistics shows that most of the ethno-religious crises in Nigeria occurred in the Northern part of the country such as the recent Boko Haram onslaught in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe State since 2009, Maitatsini crisis of 1981 in Borno State , the Tiv and Jukun conflict in Benue State, the Birom and Hausa in Plateau and the Ife-Modakeke crisis in Osun State, South West Nigeria just to mention but few (Adebayo, 2010) The restiveness in the Niger Delta occasioned by militant activitieshas some far-reaching economic implications, for example, the amount of barrel of crude oil the country produces has dropped significantly. However, the granting of amnesty initiated by former president Late Umar Yar’Adua nipped the problem in the bud and today there is relative peace in the Delta. The postelection violence in the 2011 general election was also a testimony of one of the orgies of violence in the country where lives and properties were lost especially in the Northern part of the country. Most of thisviolence is blamed on unemployment, poverty, corruption, wide income gap between the rich and the poor, social injustice among others. The incessant state of violence and social insecurity has scuttled the socio-economic development of the country.

 

• STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Violence is the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, mal development or deprivation. It was stressed that at the heart of many of these conflicts is access to resources and control over the distribution of benefits. This struggle for resources has led to a broad sense of insecurity, opportunism, and the pursuit of self- help strategies across the country. Many Nigerians argue that the real reason for the violence isn’t ethnic or religious differences but the scramble for land, scarce resources and political clout. Poverty, joblessness and corrupt politics drive extremists from both sides to commit horrendous atrocities. It is against this backdrop that the researcher intends to investigate the effect of violence and insecurity and the challenge of socio-economic development in Nigeria.

• OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The main objective of the study is to ascertain the effect of violence and insecurity and the challenge of socio-economic development in Nigeria with emphasis on Calabar south local government area of Cross River state.

To aid the successful completion of the study the researcher intends to achieve the following specific objective;

1. To ascertain the effect of violence on the development of Calabar south municipality
2. To investigate the relationship between violence and insecurity on the socio-economic development of Cross river state, Nigeria

• To examine the impact of insecurity challenge on the socio-economic development of Calabar south Municipality

1. To examine the factors responsible for violence and insecurity in Calabar south municipality
   • RESEARCH QUESTION

To aid the successful completion of the study, the following research questions were formulated by the researcher;

1. Is there any effect of violence on the socio-economic development of Calabar south municipality?
2. Is there any relationship between violence and insecurity on the socio-economic development of Cross river state?

• Do insecurity challenges in Calabar south have any impact on the socio-economic development of Calabar south municipality?

1. Are there factors responsible for insecurity and violence in Nigeria?
   • RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

The following research hypotheses were formulated by the researcher to aid the completion of the study;

H₀: there is no significant relationship between violence and insecurity on the socio-economic development of Calabar south LGA of Cross river state

H₁: there is a significant relationship between violence and insecurity on the socio-economic development of Calabar south LGA of Cross river state

H₀: insecurity challenges in Calabar south do not have any impact on the socio-economic development of Calabar south municipality

H₂: insecurity challenges in Calabar south do have an impact on the socio-economic development of Calabar south municipality

 

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

It is believed that at the completion of the study the findings will be of great importance, to the security agency as the study seek to explore the effect of violence on the socio-economic development of Nigeria, the study will also be of importance to legislators and the executive arm of government, as the study will help them formulate policies that will curb the menace of violence and insecurity as this has a long run effect on the foreign direct investment of the country. The study will also be of great importance to researchers who intends to embark on study in a similar topic as the findings will serve as a reference point for further research, finally the study will be useful to researchers, academia’s students, lecturers and the general public as the findings will add to the pool of existing literature on the subject matter.

1.7 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The scope of the study covers violence and insecurity and the challenges of socio-economic development in Nigeria. But in the cause of the study, there were some factors which limited the scope of the study;

(a)Availability of research material: The research material available to the researcher is insufficient, thereby limiting the study.

(b)Time: The time frame allocated to the study does not enhance wider coverage as the researcher has to combine other academic activities and examinations with the study.

(c)Finance: The finance available for the research work does not allow for wider coverage as resources are very limited as the researcher has other academic bills to cover

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Violence

Violence is defined by the World Health Organization as “the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community.

Insecurity

The state of being open to danger or threat; lack of protection

 

 

Socio-economic development

Socioeconomics is the social science that studies how economic activity affects and is shaped by social processes.

1.9 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY

This research work is organized in five chapters, for easy understanding, as follows Chapter one is concern with the introduction, which consist of the (overview, of the study), statement of problem, objectives of the study, research question, significance or the study, research methodology, definition of terms and historical background of the study. Chapter two highlight the theoretical framework on which the study its based, thus the review of related literature. Chapter three deals on the research design and methodology adopted in the study. Chapter four concentrate on the data collection and analysis and presentation of finding.  Chapter five gives summary, conclusion and also recommendations made of the study.

 

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