Insecurity and the political economy of Borno state, Nigeria

Abstract

The gross inability of the government to enthrone political security, economic security, and social security deeply reflects a major disconnect of the people from the political economy of Borno State. The abdication of government duty posts in effective wealth distribution has since enthroned insecurity as a cash cow to all involved stakeholders from State armed actors, non-state armed actors, and the civilian population. It was against this background that this study engaged State fragility Theory to investigate insecurity and the political economy of Borno State. This study deconstructed political economy into the emergence of ungoverned spaces as a political failure and the emerging socioeconomic gap as an economic failure on the part of the government while the terror cell groups are the bastion of insecurity. This study employs qualitative research with reliance on related academic publications, government reports, and available archive documents. Findings from this study showed that the emergence and sustenance of ungoverned spaces by terror cell groups in Borno State positively influence the menace of terrorism. The study also submitted that the ability of terror cell groups to access tax levies collection, willfully given by residents, greatly promotes the disposition of insecurity in Borno State. This study recommends that Nigeria should evolve a community-driven policy that dislodges all ungoverned spaces from the terror cell groups and lease the same out for value-chain agro production to prospective Arab farmers. The government should approach the hearts and minds of the Borno residents with good governance to counter ill governance narratives against it by terror cell groups.