SECURITY CHALLENGES AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM NIGERIA

Abstract

The study was set out to assess the effect of insecurity on economic growth with particular
focus on Nigeria. The study identified activities of Boko haram, Fulani herdsmen, banditry,
Unknown Gun Men as the major security challenges ravaging Nigeria while economic
growth was proxy using foreign direct investment, gross domestic product and life
expectancy of citizens. Primary data which was obtained through questionnaire was
analyzed using T-test aided by SPSS version 23. Findings revealed that insecurity has made
significant negative effects on the socio-economic lives of citizens living in Nigeria. The
study recommended that the root cause of insecurity such as religious extremism, illiteracy,
unemployment, nepotism should be urgently addressed. Again it recommended that the
government of Nigeria should be sincere in its fight against insecurity and stop attaching
religious and ethnic sentiments to the very serious issue ravaging the entire country. Finally
the need to restructure the country and addressing the issue of resource control, state
policing and equal representation of every region in the national assembly should be
addressed to douse the agitations in the southern Nigeria.