ABSTRACT
Insecurity has remained a major challenge to Africa’s development. Many African states have over the years been caught up in the web of internal conflicts that do not only slow down the pace of development but also have, in many cases, reversed developmental gains. Conflicts in Africa result in the diversion of resources meant for national development to prosecuting wars. These conflicts also result in losses of human and material resources, degrade the environment, and expose the continent to undue external actors’ involvement. This chapter reviews the implications of the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria, which, since 2012, has engaged the Nigerian state’s attention following destructive attacks on numerous targets. It observes that Nigeria has never seen the level of destruction and losses in lives and property being experienced in this insurgency except the carnage during the Nigerian civil war. The national government has not only invested in the fight against Boko Haram, but it has also thrown its doors open to the West for assistance. This situation has thus exposed Nigeria’s weaknesses, endangered its national security, and attracted denigrating global commentaries. The cost of prosecuting the war against the Boko Haram is substantial, with severe implications for national development. The future and direction of Nigeria’s national development will depend on how it manages the Boko Haram insurgency and other challenges it has thrown up.
