Public Policy Makers at the Crossroads: Interrogating Economic Motive of the Resurgence of Militancy in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume III, Issue X, October 2019 | ISSN 2454–6186

Public Policy Makers at the Crossroads: Interrogating Economic Motive of the Resurgence of Militancy in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

OBIKAEZE Victor Chibuike PhD¹, ONUOHA Basil Chijioke PhD², UDOH Ogbonnaya Nwafor PhD³

¹Department of Political Science, Rhema University, Nigeria
²Department of Political Science/ Public Administration, University of Uyo, Uyo, Nigeria
³Department of Political Science, Abia State University, Uturu, Nigeria

Abstract: – Despite efforts made by successive administrations in Nigeria to stop militancy in the Niger Delta region, the situation has continued to remain aggravated. It is a fact that various activities of militant groups have continued to create a state of general insecurity in the region, thereby posing a monumental threat to human and national security. The study therefore, investigated factors that had contributed to resurgence of militancy in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The methodology is anchored on descriptive and historical methods, while frustration-aggression theory and greed versus grievance theory were employed as theoretical frameworks of analysis. At first, the emergence and subsequent militant activities in the region were strictly motivated as a reaction to years of perceived marginalization perpetrated by the Federal Government of Nigeria. However, the recent proliferation of militia groups and its attendant criminal activities has been largely motivated by personal quest for economic enrichment, thereby posing a colossal threat to the general public including indigenes of the Niger Delta. Both the Federal Government of Nigeria and Multinational Oil companies should desist from adopting ‘divide and rule’ strategy as an option, and adequately tackle general infrastructural decay in the region. National Assembly should come up with a legislation that can strictly prosecute any political elite funding militancy or using militants for personal political or economic gains.

Key Words: Niger Delta, Economic Marginalization, Economic Enrichment, Resurgence of Militancy, insecurity.

I. INTRODUCTION

Despite efforts made by the Nigerian government through various policy actions to stop militancy in the Niger Delta region, the situation has continued to remain aggravated. Militancy in the region has posed a colossal threat to human and national security in Nigeria. It is obvious that various activities of militant groups have created a state of general insecurity in the region. They have engaged in kidnapping, pipeline vandalization, piracy, killings, etc. All the programmes and agencies established by the Nigerian government have not effectively and sustainably reduced militancy let alone of eradicating it in the oil producing states.

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