National Security, Good Governance and Integration in Nigeria since 1999: A Discourse

Abstract

At its 50th Independence Anniversary in October 2010, Nigeria still grapple with serious national insecurity, ethno-communal conflicts and lacking socio- cultural integration and appreciable material development. Though Nigeria’s current malaise can be traced to, among many other factors, the despotic nature of colonial rule, misrule of autocratic military regimes of the past and the general bad political leadership that entrenched unpopular policies, Nigeria need to invest massively on education and institute good governance that uphold the rule of law, accountability, protection of human rights, free and independent electoral systems and forbid evils in order to join the global comity of nations. In addition, the country can come out of the present predicament in which kidnapping and drug trafficking have become norms by waging an unselective war on corruption, establishing effective Agency for social mobilization and character reorientation, and entrenching principles of “Multiple Identities’ and ‘Unity in Diversity”. Above all, the country needs to modernize its security bodies to meet global challenges and benchmarks just as Nigerians must accept the country as theirs and therefore abide by public rules, be patriotic, uphold good neighbourliness and always preferring the national interests to selfish ambitions and personal greed. However, the onus to implement these palliatives is not only with the scholars whose tasks undoubtedly, have become more demanding than hitherto but particularly with the politicians, advisors, policy makers and administrators of the Nigeria polity.