Journal of African Studies and Sustainable Development

This paper brings a two–dimensional approach to the discourse on security. The first is that security challenges can be natural; secondly, it can also be man–made. Africa as a continent, in this regard, is ravaged by many security challenges. This paper points out health disasters such as Ebola, environmental hazards such as earthquake to be among natural disasters. It sees terrorism, organized armed banditry and other unlawful armed groups to be among man–made security challenges. In the case of Nigeria, perennial challenges like poor leadership, corruption, religious fanaticism and bigotry including tribalism have all combined to create further security challenges that have now climaxed in Boko Haram, Fulani Herdsmen, Armed Robbery, Kidnapping, etc. These menaces have given Nigerians sleepless nights and continuous mourning moments. Present Nigerian Government seems to be helpless and clueless in the face of all these. Employing the philosophical methods of Analysis and Phenomenology, this paper highlights the socio-psychological foundations for most of these challenges, namely, Poverty of the pocket and stomach, poverty of the mind, poor political leadership and mass ignorance. This study concludes that for African leaders in general and Nigerian leaders in particular to get it right, there is urgent need to restructure the political structure that breeds incompetence and gross poor leadership qualities. The paper further recommends, among other things, investment in education and general human development and a radical approach that calls for action and pragmatic strategy instead of the usual foot-dragging and lip service occasioned by the abuse of power and subversion of political/humanistic values.

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