Religion, Violence, Poverty and Underdevelopment in West Africa: Issues and Challenges of Boko Haram Phenomenon in Nigeria

Abstract

Violent conflicts in emerging democracies or societies in transition threaten the stability of state governance institutions, which brings about insecurity of lives, property and deepens the vicious cycle of poverty and criminality in Africa. The first responsibility of any government is to provide security of lives and property. At no time since Nigeria's civil war has the country witnessed the resurgence of violence and insecurity that claims hundreds of lives weekly. It is a sectarian insurgence of multiple dimensions. This article makes the case that Boko Haram is not just a religious phenomenon but a reflection of a socio-political, economic and ethnic problem caused by bad governance. As a result, Boko Haram has witnessed a cross-border influence and impact which has expanded its frontiers beyond Nigeria to neighboring countries in the West African region. The theoretical framework employed in this article posits that Boko Haram has its roots fundamentally in poverty caused by bad governance in the Northern Moslem bend, in Nigeria and the West African Region where corruption, human rights violations, marginalization of cultural, political and religious groups have created the situation whereby weak state structures have abysmally failed to deliver on the development promises made during elections. So the emergence of Nigeria's Boko Haram violence, as a result of the street poverty and the rise of unemployed street beggars, popularly known as Almajiris, and their use for electoral and party violence, was encouraged by the neglect and abandonment of the masses by the governors and other elected leaders. The expansion and consolidation of the Boko Haram insurgence to other parts of the country and neighboring West African nations was made possible by the already existing failed state institutions, bad governance and corruption and the existing band of small criminal sectarian groups that depend upon their survival on aids from Al Quaeda, drug gangs and sea piracy. The religious dimension is a marginal factor fueled by fundamental socioeconomic and political variables which have been thrown up in the first place by bad governance and leadership in Nigeria.

Political risk and foreign direct investment in Nigeria: New empirical evidence

“…The rising interest in Boko Haram uprising document a new line of risk to Nigeria involving bombings of religious sites, markets, schools, kidnapping, cattle rustling and armed robbery which we view as a another form of religious violence studied in greater literature as (Akinde & Yusuff, 2014;Blanquart, 2012;Casimir, Nwaoga, & Ogbozor, 2014;Eme & Ibietan, 2012;Nicklas & Mandela, 2014;Okoli & Agada, 2014). The activities of the Islamic insurgents give rise to further external threats to Nigeria's land borders on the northern axis.…”

“…The need to inquire further on the link between religion and violence has been suggested by scholars (Casimir et al, 2014) leading to an emerging area being referred to as 'religious violence'. Religion and its associated effect are expected to have significant effect on FDI inflow (H6).…”

Evidence-based dialogue: the relationship between religion and poverty through the lens of randomized controlled trials

“…Consequently, Katherine Marshall has argued for the relevance of religions in development discourse and development practices (Marshall, 2001, Marshall, 2005. The well-known links between certain types of religiosity and violence can lead to vicious circles of poverty, underdevelopment and violence (Casimir et al, 2014). Religion in all its ambivalence influences development, for the better or the worse, and can play a major part in development efforts (Ruben, 2011).…”

National Integration and the Challenge of Boko Haram Insurgency in Nigeria

“…The effect of Boko Haram violence has led to a constant threat to Nigeria's fragile unity and peace with the fault lines of disintegration emanating and growing daily along religious, tribal and ethnic lines [38]. The sect's condemnation of Western education and its intention to establish an Islamic state across Nigeria has made Nigeria to be divided into two poles which hindered national integration.…”