Terrorism's Impact on Nigeria: Boko Haram and Beyond - Essay Sample

Introduction

No country is entirely free from the effects of terrorism. In the current years, terrorism has become a critical aspect of life since there has been increased violence, destruction of valuable properties, and deaths. This has also been attributed to by other transnational political influence causing more fear to citizens. In Nigeria, terrorism has become a crucial aspect that has had massive effects on its citizens and the country at large. This has risen due to the terrorist group, Boko Haram, in that country.

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Research Questions/Aims

The research paper focuses on establishing: (1) What are the main connection links between Nigeria's underdevelopment and the emergence of terrorism? (2) What is the political effect on Boko Haram's existence in Nigeria? (2) What is the religious Impact on the presence of Boko Haram minority insurgence?

Research Methodology

the research uses a qualitative research method since the study sample space is enormous. An extensive analysis of various scholarly articles concerning the key domains will be used, and the findings recorded. An in-depth analysis of various driving factors to the emergency of Boko Haram Insurgency will be established using the existing studies on other related countries. The recommendation will be based on observed issues and gaps in other prior research.

Research Limitations

The study will limited on Identifying connection between underdeevelopmnet and emergence of Boko Haram. The paper will not focus on aspects such as the effect of Boko Haram in the development of the country.

Literature Review & Theoretical Framework

Being an Islamic fundamentalist has caused too much conflict in Nigeria, which has led to a strain in the overall country development. Nigeria is not new at being in crises with violent fundamentalists groups. However, the rise of Boko Haram in Nigeria due to its extreme effects, it has drawn the world's attention. Both the international and national have condemned the despicable actions by this terror group. From the Impact of this terror group violence for the past years, most people in the Northern part of Nigeria have not had peace hence living in fear of attack by the actions of this group. This paper focuses on determining how underdevelopment in Nigeria led to the emergence of Boko Haram.

The effects brought about by the Boko Haram in Nigeria has led to the underdevelopment of the country in general. Since all the resources and time that could have been put into the development activities have been channeled into fighting the insurgency in the North - East of Nigeria. Currently, when it comes to budget allocation of funds and security by the Nigerian government, much focus has been put towards the underdevelopment in the country and the rising levels of poverty. Even though it is the North-East part of Nigeria that has been the epicenter for this terrorist act, the whole country has thus been affected by its Impact leading to underdevelopment in the entire region.

Due to the rising insecurity levels in Nigeria, it is evident that the country's resources for providing security are insufficient in ensuring safety to people's lives and property, thus limiting the people and the state, in general, the ability to develop economically.

As a result, many foreign investors shy away from investing in Nigeria. Foreign investors have been pushed away by the intense insecurity levels in the country. Thus, they are afraid of the destruction of their much-invested resources and time being destroyed and fear of not growing in any way.

Those who have already invested in these regions due to fear of being in unsafe environments will tend to relocate their business to safer environments where they are sure of higher returns, which will, in turn, serve as a compensation for the risks they have taken. For a successful and productive economic development, security is vital. Terrorism, which comes about with various forms of insecurities do have negative impacts on production and how consumers buy products, thus making the market less appealing to both the local and international producers.

Dependency Theory and Nigeria's Underdevelopment

The core factors that have led to the underdevelopment in Nigeria is poor governance and leadership inertia. The two can describe how both external and internal affairs of the country are carried out and affected. It is simple to relate any cause of underdevelopment in the country to problems caused by bad governance and leadership inertia. Politics plays along in the bases on which the country suffers from poverty and overwhelms underdevelopment since the leaders are selfish, inept, and visionless (Mahoney & Rodriguez-Franco, 2018). They lay much hope on western countries for every project they like to conduct in Nigeria. The foreign countries do not give their citizens the power to be innovative and lead in their projects.

Other countries and continents such as Asia and America, can be an excellent example to offer a comparison. They both passed through a similar condition and were subjected to identical factors as Nigeria. They were both colonized and were dominated by foreign markets, yet they stood out and eliminated the external domination (Adekunle, 2020). Not until Nigeria realizes the effect of external dormination on the economy that they would be free to progress and develop as the other counties.

They did away with external exploitation, and after that, their steps bore fruits. They leaped into middle-class society and later dominated among the first industrialized countries. They were capable of accomplishing all of these by rejecting foreign domination. Also, not until they handed power to selfless, focused, and visionary leaders that they were able to meet their success.

Nigerian leaders lack the hallmarks of authentic leadership (Akinola, 2018). They are not submitting to lead their country as promised. They are mostly encompassed on politics and show the unwillingness to step up and stand out in times of need by their citizens. Even though they acknowledge all their responsibilities, they show the inability to put a personal challenge in doing what is expected of them. They prioritize most external investors and are willing to follow their instructions. When it comes to their internal affairs, they become reluctant.

Over the ages, Nigeria has been unfortunate in its leadership. It is a type of misfortune cloud that hovers over the country. Their leadership lacks the essential elements to lead, such as intellectual rigor, as defined in political thought (Akinola, 2018). Even the past leaders set out these real examples as they were self-oriented, materialistic, and self-claimed.

The Nigerian leaders have maintained underdevelopment in the country as a constant factor. There are several ways in which the leader has achieved these. First, their leadership has continually mismanaged the natural resources of their country. It is a country that has been blessed with many more minerals such as oil, unlike other countries that have to import it. Due to the dependency rate that they have on other countries, the leaders end up wasting the country's resources (Mahoney & Rodriguez-Franco, 2018). They purchase and import exotic goods for themselves, and they make sure that they also serve their forign associates by taking this action.

Secondly, due to overdependence on external countries, the aspect of corruption becomes inevitable. Most Nigerian leaders are wealthy because they acquire their wealth via stealing and buying inflated contracts and partaking in frauds. The contracts that they secure are then channeled to external investors. The private interests of the leader override the public benefits of the citizens, and it explains why most youths do not secure employment in most contracts authorized by the leaders (Jack, 2016). They steal public funds directly, and they invest the capital into projects that serve their purposes. They also accomplish taking the federal funds by directing the money to white elephant projects that do not either commence or don't complete.

Also, due to the dependence on foreign countries, the leaders are willing and capable to deprive the country even more by making sure most percentages of the stolen monies are not invested in Nigeria. They loot their state treasuries and yet end up directing the funds to foreign banks. Through this, they reap the country the benefit to channel the capital into usefulness and to production sectors that would help the country out (Ikechukwu, 2018). If they could invest in the country effectively, the lives of citizens would improve as most social services would be freely availed like education and health services.

The leaders are the ones who get the privilege to control the money that the people sweat tirelessly for. However, the only point that they are keen to control the money to is to their pockets. It is practical and visible also to approve all these because the country is at a huge debt burden to capital, not known how they were utilized. The result of this is that it creates unequal foreign exchange rates, and the economy of the state is nearing the collapsing point.

The country has been lucky to have some of its debts being canceled. An example is the Paris club debt cancellation. However, despite the debt cancellation, the country stands at risky edges in the total debt stock. Nigeria's domestic debt was more than $ 4.5 trillion, and its external debt amounted to $4.7 billion by 2015 (Ikechukwu, 2018). Taking in mind that leaders have not changed their dependency strategies on the western counties, they continue to cost Nigeria more and more debts.

The increase in debt amounts, inflation becomes the result as the country tries every method to raise the money via revenues. The debt costs the state to sack most workers in different sectors. The result is unimaginable rates of unemployment. Those that are affected more by unemployment are the youths. More than 100 million Nigerian graduates are unemployed as they are visible across verandas and streets, desperately searching for a day's payoff (Jack, 2016). It leads them to join crimes in a quest to survive. It is evident because most Boko Haram members are mostly youngsters.

Entrepreneurship in the country has died. Since the western countries ventured in the country, it has reaped thecountry their leadership. The very leaders that the people who could look at while venturing into private investments are unpromising, corrupt, and are not willing to offer a helping hand. Most youths are talented, yet the leaders do not invest in them (Jack, 2016). They are left to wander and scavenge for less in the streets when they could go big.

All of these factors indicate how underdevelopment is severe in Nigeria. It leaves and gives people all the possible reasons to join Boko Haram as they have to survive and find basic needs. Furthermore, they are angered by the entire leadership of their country.

Corruption of the Nigerian Political Class and Political Supremacy

Being a democratic state, Nigerian political space does not consider the values held by democracy claims. The country's weakened democracy has resulted in restrictions allowing only corrupt and selfish elite overwhelmed with power and would not consider allowing younger individuals to enter into political space.

Favor towards certain political groups has tarnished the people's interests compromising the overall rights to institutions, which are only allowed by corrupt political elite comprising of wealthy elders (Ukiwo, 2019). As a result of the weak political state, political frustra...