Assessment Of Socio-Economic Effects of Boko Haram Insurgency on Pastoralists in Yobe State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study assessed the effects of Boko Haram insurgency on the socio-economic lives of the pastoralists in Yobe State. A three multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 300 pastoralists. Primary data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. Data were analysed using frequency counts, percentages and mean while regression was used in testing the study’s hypothesis. The results show that 93% of the pastoralists were male and (59%) of the pastoralist were married with an age range of 30-39 years (38%). Also, the pastoralists had an annual income of above N500,000 in the study area. Based on the study findings, the study concluded that the terrorizing effect of the fundamentalist sects of Boko Haram insurgency on the socio-economic characteristics of pastoralists in Yobe state of Nigeria has become devastating livestock activities and livestock industry in the study area the results indicated that low level of education, abject poverty and absent of good government were the major causes of Boko Haram insurgency. The results further showed loss human lives and loss of livestock were the major effects of Boko Haram insurgency and the pastoralists employed crop cultivation.  The study further recommends dialogue as a mean of solving insurgency in the study area and multi-dimensional security operatives should be used to curtail insurgency and restore peace and harmony experienced in the area for decades.