The Political Economy of Insecurity in Contemporary Nigeria

This paper investigates the escalating crisis of insecurity in Nigeria through the frameworks of political economy and development studies. It contends that persistent violence, social disorder, and institutional weakness are fundamentally linked to the structural and historical contradictions of the postcolonial state. Employing a dual-theoretical approach that integrates postcolonial and structural political economy, the study examines how fiscal federalism, resource dependence, elite competition, and institutional fragmentation constrain state capacity and development. Qualitative analysis of secondary sources demonstrates that prevailing technocratic security responses do not address the underlying political and economic causes of insecurity. The findings indicate that insecurity is not merely a consequence of inadequate state coercion, but rather a manifestation of deeper crises in governance, legitimacy, and political accumulation. The study concludes that sustainable security and development in Nigeria require the reconstruction of state capacity, a reorientation of development strategies toward political and inclusive approaches, and the formation of coalitions committed to structural transformation.