VIOLENCE AND INSECURITY: A CHALLENGE TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND NATION-BUILDING IN NIGERIA'S FOURTH REPUBLIC 1999-2020

Abstract

The heightened state of insecurity in the country could be blamed partly on increased protestations across the country. Various parts of Nigeria are saddled with the problem of terrorism, insurgency, militarization, secession, herdsmen attack, cattle/farmers rustling, banditry, kidnapping and other sectional and religious agitations. All the enumerated problems could probably be linked to bad governance which in turn has given rise to youth restiveness as a result of unemployment, poor infrastructure, poor policies and corruption. Violence and insecurity constitute a major challenge to planning for economic development and nation-building. They contribute immensely to the waste of the scarce resources in Nigeria. They are harbingers of destruction of lives and property. This paperhas therefore for its objective to explore the challenges posed by violence and insecurity on economic development and nation-building in Nigeria and their effect on the psyche of the people. Normative method approach and failed state theory are used to dissect the happenings caused by violence and insecurity in Nigeria since Fourth Republic (1999-2020) and to analyse its implications for economic development and nation-building.The paper made use of data collected mainly from secondary sources such as books, journals and internet reports. The findings reveal that violence and insecurity have indeed constituted serious impediment to economic growth and nation-building within the period covered by this work.