When it comes to security, Nigeria's political class bears the burden of responsibility

This research paper argues that Nigeria's growing insecurity is driven by a vicious cycle of poverty, dwindling state capacity, and the rent-seeking practices of the political elite. The author contends that economic desperation, exacerbated by mismanagement and corruption, pushes citizens toward crime and violence across all geopolitical zones.

• Nigeria's insecurity is geographically diverse, with specific threats tied to different regions: the North-Central faces pastoral conflicts over waterways; the North-East is threatened by Boko Haram and its factions; the North-West is dominated by banditry and kidnapping; the South-East sees violence from the Indigenous People of Biafra secessionists; the South-South deals with oil theft and extortion; and the South-West faces armed gangs.
• There is a direct correlation between poverty and insecurity in Nigeria, where the most insecure regions, specifically the North-East and North-West, are also the poorest. This trend persists within regions, as violence is more prevalent in poor rural areas or highways than in wealthier urban centers like Abuja and Ilorin.
• Severe economic distress is driving citizens toward crime. As of the writing, 63 percent of the population (133 million people) live in multidimensional poverty, with children making up over half of that group. Factors such as border closures, poor storage, and natural disasters have caused food inflation to reach 24.13 percent, leaving many with insufficient disposable income.
• The Nigerian state's capacity has dwindled due to mismanagement and corruption by the political class. Examples include the failure to build a dam to mitigate floods from Cameroon's Lagdo Dam (despite a 1982 feasibility study), the failure to rebuild the Eastern Economic Corridor for nearly 50 years, and the discovery of stashed COVID-19 relief food in warehouses during the 2020 EndSARS protests.
• Nigeria's revenue is overly dependent on oil, but production is falling due to theft and mismanagement. Furthermore, the political elite maintain an ineffective fuel subsidy regime that benefits a small minority; in the first half of 2023, ₦3.6 trillion was allocated for petrol subsidies, while the total annual capital expenditure was only ₦6.4 trillion out of a ₦21.83 trillion budget.
• High unemployment, particularly among youth (with a mean age of 18.1 years and an unemployment rate of 33 percent), is a primary driver of social unrest. This is compounded by the fact that Nigeria has not conducted a census since 2006, leading to policy design based on projections rather than accurate data.
• The government's primary response to insecurity has been the use of force, resulting in internal military operations across all 36 states and the capital, which the author argues creates a further cycle of violence.

APA

Nwanze, C. (2023). When it comes to security, Nigeria's political class bears the burden of responsibility. Africa Policy Research Institute. https://afripoli.org/when-it-comes-to-security-nigerias-political-class-bears-the-burden-of-responsibility

Chicago

Nwanze, Cheta. When it comes to security, Nigeria's political class bears the burden of responsibility. Africa Policy Research Institute, 2023. https://afripoli.org/when-it-comes-to-security-nigerias-political-class-bears-the-burden-of-responsibility.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Nwanze |first1=Cheta |title=When it comes to security, Nigeria's political class bears the burden of responsibility |publisher=Africa Policy Research Institute |date=21 February 2023 |url=https://afripoli.org/when-it-comes-to-security-nigerias-political-class-bears-the-burden-of-responsibility |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{nwanze2023when, author = {Nwanze, Cheta}, title = {{When it comes to security, Nigeria's political class bears the burden of responsibility}}, institution = {Africa Policy Research Institute}, year = {2023}, month = feb, url = {https://afripoli.org/when-it-comes-to-security-nigerias-political-class-bears-the-burden-of-responsibility}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }