Summary
This work under sees the relevant issue of insecurity in Nigeria and its effect on economic growth and development of Nigeria. The incessant rise in Insecurity and retrogression in the economic development of Nigeria call for a concern among researchers and policy makers over the years. However, maintenance of internal security still remains the greatest challenges facing Nigeria today. Since the past decade or more, Nigeria has witnessed an unparalleled security challenges spawned by the activities of militants in the South-South region, kidnappers in the south east, violent armed robbery in most parts of the country, political assassination, ritual killings, Boko Haram insurgency and more recently activities of unknown gunmen in some parts of the northern region especially North East.
These social menaces, when put together impinge on the security of lives and property of both Nigerian citizens and foreigners living or those even trying to invest in the country. To ensure economic development in Nigeria therefore, various measures of curbing insecurity must be adopted, including preventive community policing, human development centered growth perspective, equitable distribution of resources as well as channeling of resources to frontline sectors of the economy among others. These social menace triggers off a worrisome sense of insecurity that challenges Nigeria’s efforts towards national economic development and consequently its vision. It also scares the attraction of foreign investment and their contributions to economic development in Nigeria.
Insecurity affects economic growth by drying-out investments, increases unemployment and dwindles government revenue, amongst others.
The security of a nation hangs on two important pillars which are;
- The maintenance and protection of the socio-economic order in the case of internal and external threat
2. The promotion of a preferred international order, which minimizes the threat to core values and interests, as well as domestic order.
There is need for proactive approach in resolving security issues and threats by modern methods of intelligence gathering and sharing intelligence, preparation, logistics, encouragement, and the implementation of advanced technology to address security challenges. Also, all citizens must be ready to expose every security threat to the country. There is need for throughout investigation of the channel through which terrorists access weapons and such channel must be firmly blocked.
Furthermore, good governance is key to ensuring security as at it aims at promoting and sustaining holistic and integrated human development, enabling people lead clean, descent, happy and autonomous lives and encouraging better service delivery and improved accountability, and in delivering better services, governing bodies and individuals must always act in the public interest at all times which is consistent with legislation and government policies, avoiding self-interest.
Government carries a moral burden to lead by example by providing moral leadership that eschews evil, corruption, vices, inequity, injustice and wickedness, which will compel the people to model the character of their leaders and vice versa.
Democratic system must begin to deliver the needed social goods so as to improve the standard of living of Nigerians and improve the standard of living of many citizens from the state of absolute poverty to which they have been subjected for a long time by putting measures in place to support employment generation industrialization to absorb the huge population of the unemployed youths and a significant percentage of the country’s resources should be channeled into massive investment in agriculture leading to commercialization of Agriculture to achieve food security and provide employment; and to address the deepening poverty and despair.
Government should know that it is recommended that if insecurity will be a thing of the past in Nigeria, true democracy must be localized with good governance that addresses the socio-economic and political roots such as absolute and dehumanizing poverty, engrossing corruption, bad leadership, electoral fraud, social injustice, and resources allocation inequalities on which extremist ideologies thrive making citizens vulnerable to the enticement of being weapons of social vices leading to insecurity.
Also Government can improve on information technology by installing CCTVs to monitor illegal immigrants, arms and ammunition into the country, tackling unemployment by all levels of government, security agencies shunning bribery and other corrupt acts with good remuneration and Life assurance scheme for them.
Civil societies also should wake up to their responsibilities of raising public awareness as to moral ethics required of citizens and lobbying for concrete change or in helping to initiate and carry out a process of reforming national integrity.
In all, the danger of insecurity cannot be over emphasized. When a nation is saddled with the problem of insecurity every other plan are stalled.
Nigeria as a country with a population of over one and fifty million people cannot allow insecurity to derail her political and economic development plans. The country’s economic growth is being threatened. Recently, we have experienced increased in violence activities in Nigeria which has claimed several lives and properties, thwarted businesses, destroyed economic facilities. There is therefore urgent need to tackle it before it makes the country ungovernable.
Security is an integral part of human existence and sustenance and is a situation in which citizens are free from any threats to their life and means of livelihood, safe from bodily harm, diseases, unemployment, and human rights violations wherever they may find themselves within a sovereign nation. The effect of insecurity on the citizens and the nations economy and governance is negative and brings about underdevelopment thus the need for Nigeria to seek a lasting solution to its insecurity challenges quickly before the complete collapse of the Nation's economy.
