Combating Nigerian Insecurity and Armed Group Resilience: An Analysis of the Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda

Since the return to democracy in 1999, various armed non-state actors have held the nation hostage and unleashed violence on individuals and public institutions. Nigeria has a variety of security issues that undermine its stability and sovereignty. Boko Haram insurgency has persisted since July 2009. Banditry, herder-farmer clashes, separatism, and kidnapping for ransom have added to the complexity of the conflicts. Poverty and unemployment are among the major causes of insecurity, which has become Nigeria’s worst nightmare. Nigeria is Africa’s biggest exporter of crude oil and boasts of having the largest economy on the continent. But most Nigerians live in extreme poverty because the nation’s immense wealth has not trickled down to the populace. As enshrined in the 1999 Constitution, security and welfare of the people is the primary purpose of government. Successive administrations from 2009 tried but failed to end insecurity. The current administration is also grappling with insurgency, banditry, separatism, and other forms of discontent and has vowed to end the ugly trend. The big question, however, is what will it do differently. The government has taken the fight to the militants, who have also shown resilience amid military onslaught. It has also promised, through its eight-point agenda to revamp the economy, create jobs, and lift as many people as possible out of poverty. This paper examines the strategy to end insecurity encapsulated in the eight-point agenda. Apart from using force, it recommends other approaches such as massive job creation, poverty alleviation, and de-radicalization.