INTRACTABLE CONFLICT AND THE DYNAMICS OF INSECURITY IN NIGERIA: IMPLICATIONS FOR NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY

Abstract

This study investigated intractable conflict and the nexus of insecurity in Nigeria, examining drivers, manifestations,
the synergy among conflict systems, and implications for national development. The study utilised a mixed-methods
approach, drawing on secondary data from relevant national and international sources such as the National Bureau
of Statistics, the World Bank, and the International Crisis Group, supplemented by qualitative content analysis of
policy documents and literature. The research identified the following insecurity drivers within Nigeria: weak
institutional capacity; socio-economic inequality; youth unemployment; political manipulation (including ethnic and
religious sentiments); excessive access to small arms; and ecological degradation. This study also found that
government responses are indeed extensive but largely reactive and superficial in nature, tackling violence without
addressing the structural roots of conflict. The findings recommended full security sector reforms, the creation of
policies for a more inclusive economy, further border control mechanisms, reinforced continuity and governance
initiatives, and community-oriented peace-building approaches. This study has both theoretical and practical
contributions; it offers a comprehensive framework of insecurity in Nigeria, but also policy-informing frameworks
for sustainable peace and national stability