The economy is a linchpin of national security in Nigeria

A poll conducted on the 10 most important economic issues for BuisnessDay by NOIPolls found that electricity, security, job creation, roads, education, healthcare, agriculture/food security, potable water, transportation and corruption were respectively identified as issues government had to address in the next six months.

Viewed through the lens of national security these issues are important. Countries keen to maintain their national security focus on the environment, energy, economics, diplomacy, military, food and education. Post-World War II national security narrowly focused on military might. However the focus has broadened to encompass other non-military aspects.

Threats to national security are not a function of conventional enemies e.g. attack from another nation-state. As Nigeria has realized, non-state actors like terrorists pose a severe danger to the unity or existence of a country.

Experts say the rise in terrorism in Nigeria is the result of a cocktail of social and economic injustices: poverty, corruption, illiteracy, religious extremism, absence of economic opportunities. Economic security is as important as military security. 

Nigeria’s slow and skewed pace of realizing its great potential is turning into a national security threat. It’s fostering discontent and grievance that can be avoided. 

Gauging Nigerians perception can serve as a window into what national security issues to prioritise. This is because, a country’s national security is a signal of its value and ethos. Most of the adult Nigerians surveyed reckon the economy has not performed well in the last 6 months though even more are optimistic that the economy will improve. 

Hope flows in abundance in Nigeria. Tellingly, though Nigerians in the South South are most hopeful, in total those who expect the country’s economic situation to improve in the next six months live in the north – 80 percent of respondents in the North West are the most hopeful followed by the North Central (82 percent) and the North East (78 percent). 

Quite rightly, Nigerians resident in the North East, North West and North Central respectively considered security as the most important economic issue the government had to address within six months.

 In the opinion of most respondents (6 out of 10) the federal government was considered the most responsible for creating an enabling environment for business to thrive. 

Again, the highest number of people who thought so resides in the North East. This should come as no surprise. The army, police and immigration are federal agencies charged with protecting lives and property, and safeguarding the borders (the first line of defence) of the country. 

Economy watchers have repeatedly said that poor infrastructure e.g. electricity and roads are a physical barrier to doing business in Nigeria. Corruption, whether disguised as excessive bureaucracy or outright stealing of monies budgeted for the construction of infrastructure are also a deleterious burden. 

Respondents’ perception mirrors the regions in the country where poor infrastructure is hampering entrepreneurs. Nigerians living in the South West, South East and North Central say poor electricity supply impedes business growth. 

In other words, the root cause of insecurity in Nigeria and consequently a national security challenge – the unrest in the North East being one manifestation – can be addressed by first simultaneously deploying security and economic resources to counter the threat of Boko Haram. 

What’s interesting about the responses is the relation of issues such as electricity, security, job creation etc with economics. 

The economy is not in a recession; on the contrary, the national Bureau of Statistics (NBS) projects GDP will grow by 7.3 percent in 2014. 

Nevertheless, the unrest in the North East, with its tendency to grab attention, shows how a region of country which was teetering economically has eventually succumbed to widespread insecurity. So, to quote, Bill Clinton 1992 campaign slogan “It’s the economy, stupid.”