66-Article Text-145-1-10-20180830
66-Article Text-145-1-10-20180830
66-Article Text-145-1-10-20180830
Abstract. This study examines the various challenges associated with Nigerian
security and the crisis of political development in the North African region. It
interrogates the efficacy of such involvements, as they have deteriorated rapidly
due to different factors such as armed conflicts, terrorism, migration,
unconstitutional changes in power, transnational crime, refugees, civil wars,
drought, famine, drugs, and human trafficking. Conflicts and insecurity are not
only formidable barriers to development but can undermine nations and their
values. Instead, we recommend bilateral and multilateral agreements based on
intelligence and military cooperation, freezing of financial assets for terrorists and
their sponsors, democratic consolidation, and eradication of sight-tight syndrome,
among others. This study adopts the security governance theory as a theoretical
framework to address security problems related to the management of threats,
defence policies through the state, political and civic organization.
INTRODUCTION
93
Mustapha Ayodele Haruna – Nigeria’s Security Challenges
94
Brolly. Journal of Social Sciences 1 (2) 2018
95
Mustapha Ayodele Haruna – Nigeria’s Security Challenges
CONCEPTUAL ANALYSIS
Coercive Diplomacy
It seeks to resolve crises and armed conflicts without resorting to
full-scale war (Jakobsen 2017, 277). Coercive diplomacy is the
exercise of a threat when it is imperative, the limited use of force
designed to make an opponent comply with the coercive wishes. It
uses short of brutal force in the attempt to achieve a political
96
Brolly. Journal of Social Sciences 1 (2) 2018
Development
A process by which people participate in defining and achieving
higher levels of civilization. It is a self-propelled growth or
improvement in people’s welfare. Development is not just an
economic process, it is also a political and social one (Asobie 2012,
7). It implies the systematic use of scientific and technical knowledge
to meet specific objectives or requirements.
Moreover, it is a process of economic and social transformation,
which is based on complex cultural and environmental factors and
their interactions. It connects research, experience, activism and
alternative thinking in the purpose to provide a unique resource and
point of reference for the dialogue between activists and
intellectuals committed to the search for an alternative path of social
transformations towards a more sustainable and just world (Grasa
and Mateos, 2010, 27).
Nationalism
The belief that a particular group of people is a natural community,
which should live under a single political system. Nationalism is
often linked to the struggle for independence and political self-
determination. It can also be a convenient tool for political leaders
to mobilize support and overcome opposition by stressing internal
or external threats to national unity, as it has been a common
97
Mustapha Ayodele Haruna – Nigeria’s Security Challenges
Security
This concept implies freedom, no fear, anxiety or danger. The
government should have as a primary objective to assure favourable
national and international political conditions for the protection or
extension of vital national values against existing and potential
adversaries. It implies the capability of a nation to contain and ward
off such threats and vulnerabilities that are acute enough to cripple
or weaken its national values boundaries and institutions, as well as
the overall well-being of its inhabitants (Okereke and Arres 2009,
37). A threat to national security is an action or sequence of events
that is passible to degrade the quality of life of the inhabitants of the
state or significantly restraint the range of policy choices available to
the government or to private non-governmental.
National security is concerned with the ability of a legitimate
national government to protect both the collective interests and the
interests of individual citizens and groups. This implies having a
national government strong and effective enough to deter and
defend itself and its people against external aggressions (Omoweh
and Okanya 2005, 299). Security means protection from hidden and
harmful disruptions (Otto and Ukpere 2012, 676).
State Fragility
A state becomes fragile when its structures lack the political will
and/or the capacity to provide the basic functions needed for
poverty reduction, development and to safeguard the security and
human rights for the population. A state in a situation of fragility is
a state with limited capabilities to govern or rule, and to develop
mutually constructive relations (Grenoble 2010, 2).
Such states have weak institutions of governance, with precarious
capabilities to deliver good services to their citizens, and lacking
resilience when they are facing conflicts or political instability. We
98
Brolly. Journal of Social Sciences 1 (2) 2018
Theoretical Framework
This study adopts the security governance theory at its theoretical
framework. It provides and takes full account of the changing
security challenges and the rapid rise of a trans-organizational
network. It also addresses the security problems from global to
regional aspects, and from traditional military security to the newly
rising non-military security management. Security governance
theory is the application of this theory and a process aiming at
strengthening the security capability by the means of governance
mechanisms (Liao 2011, 2).
Security governance provides a framework for analysing policy-
making and policy implementation in the security field, clarifying
and capturing group challenges. It allows understanding of the
concept of security beyond the issue of defence and, above all, it
encompasses the more diverse, less visible and less predictable
nature of security in the 21st century. The framework of security
governance facilitates understanding of interactions between states
and regional institutions and how they individually and/or
collectively manage not only international and regional crises but
also a variety of threats to national and regional security (Kirchner
2014, 3). It covers threats that have to do with potential or actual
violence, terrorism, war and counterinsurgency, ethnic cleansing,
the spread of weapons of mass destruction, massive human right
violence, and organized crime, as well as issues related to natural
disasters, famines, pandemics, cyber warfare and even financial
crimes and crises.
Security governance is a post-cold war phenomenon. It breaks
the link with the realist and liberal ways of managing security in
international polities. It is predicated on the belief that the new
99
Mustapha Ayodele Haruna – Nigeria’s Security Challenges
100
Brolly. Journal of Social Sciences 1 (2) 2018
The political instability that has beset North Africa in the years
following the Arab Spring swept through the Middle East and
101
Mustapha Ayodele Haruna – Nigeria’s Security Challenges
Terrorism/Insurgency
At present, the most pressing security challenge, according to
Nigerian officials and as presented in the official documents, is
terrorism and insurgency. It refers to the national dimension of
terrorism and insurgency citing the activities of the Islamic sect
Boko Haram in the North East of the country. The local
transnational dimension is especially evident in Nigeria, where there
is a close connection with Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb
operating in the Sahel and, lately, ISIS in the Middle East (Haastrap
and Lucia op. cit.). Force fighter returnees represent the greatest
threat to Nigeria as they came back from North Africa to launch
attacks and train local terrorists. As the returnees are likely to be
better trained in weapons and explosion than their home group
counterparts. They have featured in actual attacks or foiled plots in
Nigeria, which have destabilizing effects on the country’s security
(Gartenstein-Ross et al., op.cit.)
Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff stated during the 2017 Annual
Conference:
The scourges of cross-border crimes like human and small arms trafficking,
drugs peddling, smuggling, banditry, cyber threats, money laundering
espionage, terrorism and many others have created an interest for non-state
actors that must be decimated by combined international efforts. The
Nigerian Army Leadership in concert with the grand strategic focus of Mr
President has continued to devise means of engaging our neighbouring
countries towards tackling common threats in order to meet considerable
102
Brolly. Journal of Social Sciences 1 (2) 2018
More Nigerians have been saved from slavery and trafficking in war-tone
Libya, as another 275 citizens were airlifted to the country a few hours after a
batch of 144 Nigerians were returned Tuesday night on 7th December 2017
while no fewer than 1, 295 Nigerians were rescued in Nigerians were rescued
in November 2017 alone (This Day December 7, 2017, 4)
103
Mustapha Ayodele Haruna – Nigeria’s Security Challenges
and social welfare for its citizens, which makes them end in North
Africa where are forced to face persecutions and humiliations.
104
Brolly. Journal of Social Sciences 1 (2) 2018
RECOMMENDATIONS
Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance are necessary for
understanding, tracking and targeting terrorist networks and should
be the main component of North African countries counter-
terrorism strategy. Deployment of Nigerian troops to other
countries to combat terrorism and insecurity. Freezing of financial
assets of terrorists and so-called sponsors. Bilateral and multilateral
agreements based on military cooperation. Security Sector Reform
(SSR) will help counterterrorism efforts while addressing continuing
105
Mustapha Ayodele Haruna – Nigeria’s Security Challenges
CONCLUSION
106
Brolly. Journal of Social Sciences 1 (2) 2018
security of the individuals, the state and the international system are
fully integrated and pursued collectively. It demands that all sub-
systems of the national security be inseparable. Nigeria needs to
promote democracy, political and social integration in the various
independent states of the sub-region. Moreover, it should intensify
the application of diplomacy and related non-coercive approaches
towards conflict resolution to avoid catastrophes such us mass
exodus, famine or bloodshed.
References
Adetula, V.A.O. African conflicts, Development and Regional Organizations in the post-
cold war international system. London: Lighting Source, 2014.
Adetula, V.A.O. Development, Conflict and Peace Building in Africa in Gayabest. S.
Introduction to Peace and Conflict Studies in West Africa: A Reader. Ibadan:
Spectrum Books, 2005.
Adoba, I. “A Close looks into Nigeria’s Illegal Export.” This Day Newspaper, June:
38-41.
Albuquerque, Ald. “Challenges to Peace and Security in North Africa: Accounting
for the lack of Regional Institutional Response.” Stockhold: Studies in African
Security. Swedish Defence Research Agency, 2015.
Alli, W.O. The Role of Nigeria in Regional Security Policy. Abuja: Friedrich
Ebertstifting, 2012.
Asiwaju, A.I. “Borders and National Defence: An Analysis.” in Ate, B. and
Akinterinwa, B. (eds.) Nigeria and Prospects of Sub-regional security in the 1990s.
Lagos: Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, 1992.
Asobie, H.A. “Conceptual, Theoretical and Empirical Issues on the Interface
between Corruption, Government and Development” in Muhammed H.
(ed.) Corruption Governance and Development in Nigeria. Kano: Aminu Kano
Centre for Democratic Research and Training. 2012.
Bevirim and Hall, I. The Rise of Security Governance. 2014. www.academic.edu.
Retrieved online 28th October 2017.
Buratai. T. Y. Chief of Army Staff Annual Conference. Ibadan, 2017.
Campbell. J. Can Nigeria endures falling Oil Prices. Council on Foreign Relations, 2014.
https://www.cfr.org. Retrieved online 20th December 2017.
Chaturvedi, A.K, Dictionary of Political Science. New Delhi: Academic (India)
Publishers, 2006.
107
Mustapha Ayodele Haruna – Nigeria’s Security Challenges
108
Brolly. Journal of Social Sciences 1 (2) 2018
109