Globalization and Nigeria: Security Issues

Abstract

The paper’s objective is to examine Globalization as a concept and its effects on Nigeria. Like every other society, traditional Nigeria has had her security issues in the form of intra-communal conflicts and fracas. Hence Globalization cannot be totally blamed for the insecurity experienced in Nigeria today but may have increased its contemporary dimension nevertheless. This is the point of view of this paper. Globalization came to be as a result of World War II and its economic hardship and inflation on societies. Globalization is the crisscrossing of developed countries to other countries, especially the under-developed or developing countries. It is the sharing of materials by the developed nations, with the developing nations. Materials here encompass all tools, equipment, machines, textiles, etc. The economic crunch of World War II necessitated the expansion of markets, sales, profits and mutually beneficial economic growth, as well as improved living standards of the worlds’ people (1).

The entity known as Nigeria, broadly speaking, is made up of three major tribes, these being the Igbos in the East, Hausas in the North and Yorubas in the West. Dozens of other minor tribes exist along with these major three. Interestingly almost each of these is distinct with a culture and a dialect or language of her own. Due to the foregone, inter-tribal and communal clashes were common occurrences before the advent of colonialism. Although Nigeria was amalgamated in 1914, there still exist great differences in the cultures of the people. Culture, being an embodiment of the ideas, customs and art of a particular society (2), with the amalgamation of different societies, each having her peculiar belief systems, customs, superstitions and myths, considerable measure of maturity and self-constraints is required in order to avoid or minimize conflicts. Although this marriage of diverse societies has lasted one hundred years (100)- by the year 2014, there still abound inter-tribal misunderstandings.