Assessing the implications of killer herdsmen in the north and unknown gunmen in the south for the tourism industry in Nigeria

Abstract

More than ever, the contemporary Nigerian social landscape is characterised by civil aggression and violent attacks by many (known and unknown) violent groups. The activities of these groups have created insecurity crises of unparalleled intensity in the country. This paper examined the implication of insecurity (or these violent attacks) for the tourism industry in Nigeria. The study used a desk research approach to generate secondary data following a time series design. It descriptively analysed the information using line graphs, bar charts and simple percentages, using the theory of ‘failed state’ as a framework for the interpretation and discussion. The study found a relationship between recurrent insecurity and prevailing challenges facing the tourism industry in Nigeria. Since ‘all crime is local’, it is recommended that the conventional approaches to solving the insecurity problems in Nigeria should be complemented with the help of members of local communities and mass media using state-of-the-art technology to expose criminals and ensure constant checks on local migrants, international emigrants and business people that deal in small arms and light weapons.