Nigeria is suffering from persistent security challenges as a result of the distrust of the government by marginalised people, a recent Working Paper by the International Monetary Fund says.
The document titled “Fraying Threads: Exclusion and Conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa” was co-authored by Hany Abdel-Latif and Mahmoud El-Gamal.
Areas such as Kaduna, Borno, Niger, Zamfara, and Katsina are particularly afflicted by protracted conflicts and humanitarian crises, the paper noted.
According to the document, the systemic denial of certain individuals or groups to rights, opportunities, or resources that may be available to other segments of the population is a major cause of conflict and underdevelopment in Nigeria and other sub-Saharan Africa.
“Unequal access to clean water, food, healthcare, education, and economic opportunities can magnify feelings of exclusion among marginalised populations. These perceptions of exclusion, in turn, may lead to social strife that disrupts a nation’s growth efforts,” the report says.
The perception of exclusion creates a fertile environment for armed groups to capitalise on the discontent of marginalised people, thereby fueling violence.
The report also noted that the conflict is often concentrated near national borders, where there tends to be insufficient public services, fostering feelings of exclusion. These locations are often referred to as “ungoverned areas.”.
According to the report, nearly 3000 people were killed in Borno in 2022, as a result of conflict fuelled by exclusion. Zamfara, Niger, Kaduna, and Katsina also recorded a high number of fatalities in 2022 due to the crisis.
The paper noted that improving people’s relationships with the government and ensuring equal access to services can foster conditions for greater peace and social cohesion in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa.
