Insurgency, militancy and achieving sustainable development in Africa: Experience from Nigeria

Abstract

Peace, stability and security are the essential preconditions for development anywhere. Africa have been grappling with myriads of security challenges in its quest to rescue the inhabitants of the continent from doldrums of insecurity and underdevelopment which stunted growth and development. Achieving sustainable development is the core concept for the post 2015 development agenda that provides an integrated response to the complex security, environmental, societal, economic and governance challenges that directly and disproportionately affect people. Security is vital for sustainable development across Africa, the fundamental challenge of managing or ending conflict(s) remains; and with it comes the challenge of creating or sustaining secure environments and using security as an enabler for development. The nexus between sustainable development, on the one hand, and peace, stability, and security on the other is not a new concept. The increasing proliferations of crime rates, jihadist groups in Africa has been catastrophic since the departure of Muammar Gadhafi in 2011, armed conflicts in Mali, Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb and Boko Haram insurgency in Northern Nigeria has changed the bearing of development agenda compass in the continent, destroying social infrastructures and uprooting people from their social locations hence creating another dire humanitarian crises: refugees, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), malnutrition, food crises and migrants risking their lives in the Mediterranean sea in an attempt to seek for where pasture is greener in Europe, Asia and America. Activities of sea pirates in the Gulf of Guinea and militants in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria has grossly undermine sustainable development. The emergence of Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) and their activities of blowing oil pipeline has not only grounded the Nigerian economy which has been glaring in the inability of most State Governments in Nigeria to pay workers’ salaries, and gas spillage has been aggravating the already damaged ecosystem hence putting all development projects almost impossible let alone to sustain them.