The Nigerian State and the Challenges of Curbing Insecurity: A Perspective on the Role of Students

The impact of armed violence is transcendental and, by extension, negatively affects development, peace and good governance, often by creating a climate of impunity, corruption and undermining public institutions. It is also closely tied to transnational crime and the misery and abuse associated with the illegal trafficking of arms, drugs and people, which impairs national development. In recent years, Nigeria has undergone social upheaval on several counts; the most recurrent being the one arising from extremism and other insurgencies. Nigeria’s national discourse is laced with issues of persistent conflict, turbulent violence and a desperate search for stability, security and peace. This paper assessed the current level of insecurity in Nigeria and posits that government alone cannot deal with the situation. The paper argued that Nigerian students form the majority of the country’s population and there is extensive evidence of the way students’ ingenuity, energy and resilience can be harnessed to generate real and positive change in curbing insecurity and fostering national development. The paper also concluded that engaging students in positive ways as part of the drive towards national development will make a large portion of Nigerians less vulnerable to violent extremism, and by extension, benefit society as a whole.