NIGER DELTA AND THE CHALLENGE OF NIGERIA’S NATIONAL SECURITY

Abstract

The Niger Delta question has become a recurrent decimal, just like a deadly disease that has defied all palliative means. This study takes a cursory look at the Niger Delta persistent crisis and the challenges it poses to the Nigeria's national security. No doubt, the people of the region have suffered neglect for a longtime, and the resources there that have been badly explored are in deplorable state. The study establishes that there remains a million and one question unresolved, vis-a-vis resource allocation and control, hostage taking, militancy, among others, though the government, at a time takes a new look towards the region, conflict still remains exacerbated and has since assumed a new dimension. It adopts Conflict Theory to interrogate the discourse and uses secondary sources to gather the needed information. Ironically, some group of people who at the initial stage struggled to bail the region out of her predicament under activism, now see the situation of violent conflict as plausible and means to enrich and negotiate better deals for themselves. Will the crisis ever be resolved? It further probes into the underlying factors responsible for the present state of the crisis and the neo-elastic dimension of the crisis. In summary, the study overviews several factors responsible for the crisis and why the plight has endured for so long. In view of the challenges it poses for national security, it recommends that Nigerian government must be sensitive enough to address issues that are urgently begging for attention while a subtle but discreet military approach will suffice a method to resolve the contemporary phase of militancy in the region.