Climate change and armed banditry in Northwest Nigeria: a troubled synergy of insecurity
The northwest region, Nigeria’s geopolitical zone at the edge of the Sahel is the epicentre of a ruinous security crisis driven by armed groups, often described as bandits. Attention of the research community and policy makers have generally been directed towards investigating the possible nexus bet...
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| Otros Autores: | ; |
| Tipo de documento: | Print Artículo |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
| Publicado: |
2024
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| En: |
Armed banditry in Nigeria
Año: 2024, Páginas: 15-42 |
| Verificar disponibilidad: | HBZ Gateway |
| Sumario: | The northwest region, Nigeria’s geopolitical zone at the edge of the Sahel is the epicentre of a ruinous security crisis driven by armed groups, often described as bandits. Attention of the research community and policy makers have generally been directed towards investigating the possible nexus between climate change and the escalating violence from armed banditry in northwest Nigeria. With the region considered one of the most environmentally blighted regions within the central Sahel, the climate-induced precariousness of northwest Nigeria has been further exacerbated by poor socioeconomic outcomes, weak state capacity and incessant conflicts that continue to aggravate the country’s various ethnic and political fault lines. To date, extant literature about this phenomenon have rarely linked metrological and climate variability data in understanding the relationship between climate change, fragility and conflict. This study investigates the role of climatic variability in the formation and evolution of this rapidly escalating conflict. Using precipitation data and temperature data between 2010 and 2021, the study observed a reduction in precipitation and an increase in the temperature recorded as an indication of likely drought in the study area. A negative relationship between precipitation and bandit attacks was identified with a correlation coefficient (R-value) of −0.01 implication of which shows that as the precipitation reduces bandit attack increase. Likewise, the increase in temperature shows a positive relationship with an R-value of 0.25 which implies an increase in temperature influences bandit attack. Therefore, from the findings of this chapter, it can be inferred that climate is one of the most critical variables that have triggered a cyclical conflict of mutual destruction between farming communities and pastoralists in the region and created pastoralists cum ethnic-dominated criminal groups that have threatened the viability of the Nigerian state. The study suggested the need for rapid climate action to help reduce the occurrence of armed conflict (banditry) in the study area. |
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| Notas: | Literaturverzeichnis: Seite 37-42 |
| Descripción Física: | Illustrationen |
| ISBN: | 9783031454448 |