POVERTY AND THREATS TO HUMAN SECURITY IN NIGERIA, 2007-2015

Abstract

Poverty is a multi-dimensional phenomenon with risks that is inextricably linked in a complex and interdependent relationship with human security. Meanwhile, the most visible basis of poverty can be measured and linked in the relationship between human, economic and social sufferings. Therefore, this study explores the nexus between poverty and human security in Nigeria. This study interrogated the ability of the political leadership in Nigeria to tackle the menacing effects of recreated problems of hunger, commodity price hike, human trafficking, health pandemics, starvation, unemployment, community security, domestic violence, among others. This study argues that poverty and insecurity in Nigeria is reinforced by bad governance which sustains rising incidences of kidnapping, armed robbery, human trafficking, illicit arms trafficking, collective contentious actions exemplified in the activities of militant groups, terrorist groups, ethnic-based protectionist groups. Using the relative deprivation theory, this study argues that raising poverty in Nigeria gives room for security threats as violence, banditry, agitations and frequent rise of individuals and groups against the state. However, this study discovers that the various poverty alleviation programmes in Nigeria has become an avenue for the enrichment of the political class. Thus, this study suggests that the genuine approach to tackling poverty and insecurity in Nigeria is to make governmental