INCREASING SECURITY THREATS: ISSUES AND IMPLICATIONS IN NIGERIA’S SOCIO-ECONOMIC GROWTH A STUDY OF ABAKALIKI METROPOLIS, EBONYI STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study focused on increasing security threat factors and implications in Nigeria socio-economic growth with particular interest in Abakaliki, the capital of Ebonyi State. The threat issues studied include poverty, political marginalization, unemployment, and ethno-religious strife and how they have impaired the socio-economic activities in Abakaliki metropolis. The study is undergirded by Relative Deprivation Theory of insecurity. Structured questionnaire was formulated and administered on 380 residents in Abakaliki to elicit the relevant data needed for this investigation. The data obtained were presented on simple percentage table, while the test of hypotheses was done using Pearson (r). The study found out that increasing security threat issues – poverty, unemployment, political marginalization and ethno-religious – have led to an increase in agitations like IPOB separatist movement, youth restiveness, kidnapping, terrorism, and armed robbery. The implications of these threats include destruction of life and properties, grounding of business and infrastructure, discouragement of foreign direct investment (FDI), disruption of economic development policies, social systems, health and peaceful co-existence. This study, therefore, recommends that government at all levels to urgently address the root causes of insecurity in the country such as poverty, unemployment, political marginalization, uneven distribution of infrastructural facilities, through good governance.