THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES ON NIGERIA'S SECURITY LANDSCAPE:

A MULTI-DIMENSIONALANALYSIS OF CONFLICT AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAGILITY

Abstract

Nigeria is confronted with a range of security challenges,
including insurgency, banditry. Communal clashes, and separatist
agitations. These issues continue to undermine national stability
and development. While numerous studies have explored the
manifestations of insecurity, this paper adopts a theoretical lens to
interrogate the root causes and persistence of conflict in Nigeria. It
draws on key conflict theories-such as Structural (Marxist)
Conflict Theory, Relative Deprivation Theory, Social Identity
Theory, and Realist Power Politics-to examine how structural
inequality, political exclusion, identity-driven tensions, and
institutional fragility contributes to insecurity across different
regions. The study employs content analysis, relying on secondary
data from scholarly literature, policy documents, and media
reports. Through this approach, the paper connects theoretical
perspectives to real-world cases including Boko Haram
Insurgency, IPOB separatist movement, and widespread banditry.
The analysis underscores the value of multi-theoretical framework
in understanding Nigeria's security dynamics and recommends
theory-informed policy responses that address both structural and
identity-based dimensions of conflict.