Beyond Resource Endowment: The State and the Challenges of National Security in Nigeria, 1999 to 2014

Abstract

Resource endowment ought to be source of blessing and a platform for sustainable national development. This scenario has been true of resource rich countries. Generally, the disposition of states to the utilization of available resources can be responsible for the possibility or otherwise of achieving national development that will inevitably lead to the guaranteeing of national security. This justifies the assertion that the state plays a key role in the management of the national economy. Critical to this assertion is the notion of the centrality of the state by virtue of the resources available at her disposal to enforce rules and compel obedience. - Instead of making efforts to improve the quality of life of Nigerians, Nigeria government has deployed the military might to harass, alienate, intimidate, and oppress her citizens. The current spates of insecurity have been argued to be a fall out of the inherent contradictions of security, development, and prosperity.