Author(s) :

Abiodun Joseph Oluwadare, Solomon Enema Ogidi.

Volume/Issue :

Abstract :

This paper examines the relationship between governance and national security in Nigeria, with a specific focus on three local government areas in Kaduna State: Jama'a, Kajuru, and Zaria. Drawing on qualitative data and an extensive review of literature, the study interrogates how governance deficits manifested in poor service delivery, institutional weakness, corruption, and political exclusion, have fueled persistent insecurity across the three study areas. The paper adopts the failed-state theory and the human security framework as its analytical lenses. Findings reveal that Jama'a LGA is beleaguered by farmer-herder conflicts and kidnapping, exacerbated by weak state presence; Kajuru LGA continues to suffer deadly communal clashes along ethno-religious fault lines that have resisted government intervention; while Zaria LGA faces urban insecurity, banditry and the residual effects of the 2015 Zaria massacre. The paper argues that sustainable security in these localities requires governance reforms anchored in accountability, community engagement, and state-society trust. It recommends decentralised security governance, improved intelligence architecture, and inclusive political processes as pathways to peace. Keywords: Governance, National Security, Farmer-Herder, Conflict, Banditry, Human Security

No. of Downloads :

0