scholarly journals Democracy Consolidation and Governance of the Security Sector in Nigeria: Trends and Challenges

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olusola Olawale Olasunkanmi
Keyword(s):  
Human Security ◽  
Military Rule ◽  
Boko Haram ◽  
Security Sector ◽  
The Core ◽  
Weak Institutions ◽  
Governance Challenges ◽  
Democratic Experience

In no other sector is the challenge of governance much more tasking in contemporary Nigeria than security. Conceived broadly to imply both physical and human security, security has remained at the core of Nigeria’s governance challenges since its return to democracy in 1999. Weak institutions, growing inequality, poverty, injustice and corruption have together undermined the capacity of democracy as a preferred system of rule, to salvage the nation’s security from prolonged years of military rule and inept leadership. With Nigeria’s almost two decades of democratic experience, and the recent ushering to power of another party, the first of this development since 1999, there is indeed, an urgent need for the overhaul of the sector if the expected gains of democracy are to be met. It is the contention of this paper that democracy and security are mutually reinforcing and a disconnect can have deleterious implications for Nigeria. This paper also stresses the need to revamp the country’s security institutions especially in the light of the internal challenges of Boko Haram and in particular, militia groups whose propensity to relapse into military confrontation under the guise of the underlying historical problems associated with the Nigerian state are well documented.  

Premises, Policies and Multilateral Whitewashing of Broad Security Doctrines: A Southeast Asia-Based Critique of “Non-traditional” Security

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1-2019) ◽  
pp. 5-26
Author(s):  
Delphine Allès
Keyword(s):  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Human Security ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Southeast Asian ◽  
Political Elites ◽  
Multilateral Cooperation ◽  
The Core ◽  
Political Roles ◽  
Policy Transformation ◽  
Semantic Evolution

This article highlights the formulation of comprehensive conceptions of security in Indonesia, Malaysia and within the framework of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), well before their academic conceptualisation. These security doctrines have been the basis of the consolidation of state and military apparatuses in the region. They tend to be overlooked by analyses praising the recent conversion of Southeast Asian political elites to the “non-traditional security”? agenda. This latter development is perceived as a source of multilateral cooperation and a substitute for the hardly operationalisable concept of human security. However, in the region, non-traditional security proves to be a semantic evolution rather than a policy transformation. At the core of ASEAN’s security narrative, it has provided a multilateral anointing of “broad” but not deepened conceptions of security, thus legitimising wide-ranging socio-political roles for the armed forces.

Boko Haram Terrorism and Human Security in Nigeria: Matters Arising

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Macpherson Uchenna Nnam ◽  
Cyril O. Ugwuoke ◽  
Vivian Chizoma Njemanze ◽  
Francis Azalahu Akwara
Keyword(s):  
Human Security ◽  
Boko Haram

Media and the Challenges of Displaced Men in Nigeria

2020 ◽  
pp. 312-330
Author(s):  
Felix Chidozie Chidozie ◽  
Augustine Ejiroghene Oghuvbu
Keyword(s):  
Human Security ◽  
Return Rate ◽  
Security Threats ◽  
Male Population ◽  
Boko Haram ◽  
Mainstream Media ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
The Government

This chapter addresses the under-reportage of the challenges confronting the male population of the IDPs by the mainstream media in Nigeria. It argues that the challenges facing the IDPs as a result of the Boko Haram terrorism, natural and man-made disasters, as well as the Hausa-Fulani mayhem, are peculiar to all the IDPs irrespective of demographic disparities. With the aid of 256 copies of questionnaires distributed among the male population of IDPs, recording 100 percent return rate and interviews conducted at Durumi Area One IDPs Camps in Abuja, FCT, the study answered the research questions posed here. Findings show that the plights of the male population of the IDPs ranging from hunger, starvation, water, electricity, accommodation shortages, and lack of sustainable occupation, portend serious human security threats for the country. It proposes policy-relevant actions for the government and other related agencies working with the IDPs; while concluding the role of media in trumpeting the challenges of the male population of the IDPs will mitigate their plights.

Opposition Party Support in Africa: An Elite–Mass Analysis

2008 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 454-485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hennie Kotzé ◽  
Carlos García-Rivero
Keyword(s):  
Democratic Politics ◽  
Colonial Rule ◽  
Political Repression ◽  
Military Rule ◽  
Track Record ◽  
Political Independence ◽  
Democratic Experience ◽  
Party Support ◽  
The Many ◽  
Ruling Party

The existence of a healthy, respected and respectful opposition is a common feature of democratic politics. For a democracy to function properly, it needs an opposition to provide political contestation and electoral competition, thus limiting the power of the ruling party. In other words: no opposition – no democracy.In this regard, Africa has a poor track record. During the 1950s and 1960s, euphoria swelled throughout the continent following political independence from colonial rule. These new African democracies, however, rapidly began succumbing to authoritarianism. Political repression, single-party states and military rule flourished, causing authoritarian forms of government to become the norm throughout the continent. Opposition parties were, and in many countries still are, severely restricted and have generally had little chance to be heard. This is especially so in the many single-party states, characterized by a lack of democratic experience and culture, which became prevalent in post-independence Africa.

scholarly journals Unabated Cyber Terrorism and Human Security in Nigeria

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. 105
Author(s):  
David Oladimeji Alao ◽  
Goodnews Osah ◽  
Eteete Michael Adam
Keyword(s):  
Human Security ◽  
Cyber Terrorism ◽  
Boko Haram ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
Terror Attacks ◽  
Descriptive Research ◽  
North East ◽  
The North ◽  
Terrorist Groups ◽  
Information And Communication

The development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) due to Internet connectivity has called to question the preparedness of nations to curb cyber terrorism and the effects on human security. Boko Haram emerged as one of the deadliest terrorist groups globally. The paper investigated the Nigeria’s efforts in checkmating cyber terrorism, the implication on human security and the inherent challenges associated. The paper employed descriptive research and qualitative method while secondary sources of data were adopted. The study found that cyber terrorism as employed by Boko Haram was deployed in raising fund, propaganda, coordinating operation, international collaboration, recruitment and training of its members. In addition, the Nigerian government has not given sufficient attention to war against cyber terrorism and this has complicated human security provisioning particularly in the North-East Nigeria. This study concluded that cyber terrorism has come to stay as long as development in ICT cannot exclude the terrorists and the prevalence of fear of attack and the destruction of lives and property facilitated by Internet have devastating effects on human security. This paper recommended the criminalization of terror attacks, adequate equipment of the security agencies and political will to tackle societal ills.

Security Provision and Counterterrorism in the Sahel

2021 ◽  
pp. 438-458
Author(s):  
Cristina Barrios
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Organized Crime ◽  
Human Security ◽  
Security Sector Reform ◽  
Security Sector ◽  
Sector Reform ◽  
Contemporary State ◽  
International Policies ◽  
Security Challenges ◽  
Ethnic Competition

This chapter discusses the politics of security provision and counterterrorism in the Sahel, in light of the main security challenges facing the region: poverty and structural food insecurity, economic and social grievances, organized crime, protracted crisis derived from territorial and ethnic competition, and terrorism and violent radicalization. It emphasizes the concept of human security against the current background of international policies and academic analysis that favors realpolitik, and it focuses on the characteristics of the contemporary state in this part of Africa to explain both the security challenges and the provision of security. The fragility of institutions and the authoritarian trends observed in Sahelian states affect their capacity and legitimacy. The chapter discusses these two aspects in detail, hinting at paths for security sector reform both by the countries and by regional initiatives such as the G5 Sahel.

scholarly journals Examining the Human Security Challenges Emanating from the Weaponisation of Women. A Case study of Boko Haram and the Islamic State 2001-2018

2021 ◽  
Vol 37 ◽  
pp. 423-451
Author(s):  
Norman Sempijja ◽  
Collin Olebogeng-Mongale
Keyword(s):  
Human Security ◽  
Security Threats ◽  
Islamic State ◽  
Boko Haram ◽  
Post Cold War ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Security Challenges ◽  
Asymmetric Conflicts ◽  
Suicide Attacks

The post-cold war period has witnessed an evolution in the nature of conflict from the new wars of the 1990s to asymmetric conflicts involving the weaponisation of civilians. This has achieved the twin objective of operating within the ranks of the combatants (in the case of women) as wives and child-bearers of the fighters, and inflicting harm on adversaries through suicide attacks. The weaponisation of women in the case of the wars in Syria and Nigeria has therefore elicited both human security challenges for the communities being targeted, and for the weaponised women. The biggest dilemma facing states of origin has been whether to accept the weaponised women’s return and rehabilitate them or declare them stateless. There has been a clear tendency to securitise them, especially when internal political dynamics are factored in. This qualitative study uses a case study approach to delve into the human security challenges emanating from the weaponisation of women in the case of Boko Haram and the Islamic State between 2001 and 2018. The paper further relies on content analysis to delve deeper into the discourse on human security. Through the use of a human security conceptual framework and securitisation theory, the paper argues that although once weaponised, some women become human security threats to targeted communities, and also face human security challenges during and after the insurgency, there is a need to deal with the women on a case-by-case basis rather than pursuing a blanket policy of securitising them. States need to work with international organisations to action processes aimed at delivering justice, demobilisation, rehabilitation, and the reintegration of these women. This will uphold international law and respect for human rights.

scholarly journals Complex Governance for the Anthropocene

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 42
Author(s):  
Philippe Le Prestre
Keyword(s):  
Complex System ◽  
Environmental Politics ◽  
Recent Literature ◽  
International Governance ◽  
Governance System ◽  
The Core ◽  
Governance Challenges ◽  
Core Elements ◽  
International Environmental Politics ◽  
The Impact

The Anthropocene presents formidable governance challenges, not only in terms of the large uncertainties that surround the impact of humans on the biosphere, but also because it is occurring at a time of profound transformations in international politics. This article builds on the recent literature on complex systems and international environmental politics and identifies some of the core elements of thinking about governance in the Anthropocene. After a brief reminder of the characteristics of a complex system and the challenges that this poses to some of the existing doxa, it proceeds with a discussion of key elements of the system, of aspects of its operation, and of the goals that one should pursue in terms of system dynamics. Approaching the governance of the Anthropocene as a complex system allows us to shape much of current research in IR into a coherent whole, as well as identify the contours of a global international governance system of the environment that takes advantage of the dynamics of the system rather than courting failure by attempting to simplify it.

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