Research
Elites Predation and Insecurity: A Perspective on the Boko Haram Insurgency in Nigeria
The post-colonial Nigerian state imbibed the gory traits of the colonial state; it served mostly as a tool for economic exploitation. The emergent elites saw governance solely, as a means for predation, thus, excluding the masses and weaker political elites. Oil further deepened the chasm, as, contending elites used oil revenues to fund and reproduce their dominance rather than provide public goods; utterly disconnecting the elite from the people. To gain political power; the means of predation, the elite resorted to votebuying, and as, the electoral process became more competitive, they turned to even more weird ways; recruitment and arming of youths to secure votes; with unintended costs. The paper argues that the Boko Haram, which for years has caused dire insecurity in Nigeria’s North East is an unintended cost of elite predatory antics. The paper concludes that except there is vigorous deference of elite predisposition to predation, their actions may utterly emasculate national cohesion.
Oil and Conflict Nexus: The Greed Model and Insecurity in the Niger Delta, Nigeria
The Niger Delta has for the past two decades been the focus of national and international discuss. The region was virtually ungovernable; enmeshed in panoply of violent conflicts that dove-tailed into near full blown youths driven insurgency. This made the region anarchic and inhospitable for the oil companies. Various studies posit a close link between natural resources and conflict, and oil as being central to conflict. This perspective is underpinned by the greed (economic) model, which posits that conflicts in Africa are greed driven. Militants’ involvement in oil theft has given fillip to the notion that greed underpins insecurity in the Niger Delta. The paper examines the Niger Delta conflicts within the context of the greed model. The paper concludes that insecurity has been goaded by grievance rather than greed as conflicts in the Niger Delta evolved through many stages of oppression, repression and exploitation.
