Armed Criminality and Food Security in the Gulf of Guinea The Nigerian Experience..pdf

The Gulf of Guinea has emerged as a focal point of concern due to its entrenched armedcriminality, which poses significant threats to regional stability and food security. Rooted insystemic issues such as bad governance, corruption, and socio-economic disparities, the regiongrapples with recurrent violent conflicts fueled by struggles for economic control. Ruralbanditry, a pervasive form of domestic insurgency, exacerbates these challenges, underminingefforts towards regional integration and security in West Africa. This paper examines thedynamics of armed criminality within Nigeria, shedding light on its international securityimplications and its impact on broader regional security initiatives. Drawing from secondary datasources, the study identifies rural banditry as a multifaceted conflict driven by resourcecompetition, elite collusion, and socio-economic deprivation. Factors such as bad governance,climate change, and the erosion of traditional livelihoods further compound the crisis,transforming it into a sub-regional threat with far-reaching consequences. The implications ofarmed criminality extend beyond immediate security concerns, manifesting in radicalised youth,heightened unemployment, and illicit trade networks across the sub-region. Moreover, thecollapse of agricultural and livestock sectors, the proliferation of small arms, and the erosion oftraditional institutions exacerbate the crisis, fostering ethnic tensions and refugee influxes. Inresponse, the paper advocates for a comprehensive review of regional security frameworks,emphasising enhanced intelligence cooperation among ECOWAS countries and bolstered bordersurveillance. Furthermore, community-based dialogue and awareness initiatives arerecommended to mitigate the root causes of rural banditry and foster sustainable peace andstability across West Africa.Keywords: Armed Criminality, Rural Banditry, Food Security, Gulf of Guinea, RegionalIntegration, West Africa, Security Cooperation, Socio-economic Implications.University