Ejimbeonwu, Gerald Kene Ph.D
Department of Social Science, Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra state, Nigeria
Corresponding Author’s email: geraldkenechukwu@gmail.com
Abstract
Nigeria today is confronted with the challenges of combating serious internal security challenges including the Boko Haram Insurgency in the North Eastern states of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa and banditry ravaging the North Western states. There are also threats posed by farmers and Fulani herdsmen clashes across the country as well as kidnappings, ethno-religious crises, political assassinations and so on. Amidst these threats of insecurity is the staggering number of people living in poverty especially, among the youth population. The study is to state why insecurity is a spanner at the wheel of national development. The study adopted frustration-aggression theory as theory of analysis. Using majorly documentary sources of data, this study argues that the heightened rate of insecurity had consequential effects to national development and identifies such effects in areas of business enterprise, loss of human capital, educational development and destruction of existing infrastructure. The paper recommends the approaches to poverty reduction in Nigeria should be re-jigged to focus more on the provision of basic infrastructure and services rather than giving cash to less privilege; greater investments in human development especially in the areas of education; shelter and social services; strict enforcement of arms and ammunitions control law; and transparency and accountability in governance.