Ungoverned Spaces and Human Security Challenges: A Re-emerging Threat on Nigeria’s National Security.

Abstract

Abstract Nigeria’s current security challenges have escalated, threatening the country’s stability and prosperity. Issues such as banditry, kidnapping, terrorism, insurgency, and violent resource based conflicts have not only jeopardized lives and property but have also undermined socioeconomic wellbeing. This paper explores how ungoverned spaces lacking effective governmental oversight and security presence serve as breeding grounds for various forms of violence perpetrated by terrorists, insurgents, militant herders, and other criminal groups. Drawing from empirical data, the study examined ungoverned spaces as contested regions within Nigeria and the Sahel, analyzing their function as havens where violent actors establish operational strongholds. These spaces are seen as either entirely unregulated by state authorities or controlled by alternative, non-state actors, creating significant national security concerns. Using the Predatory Theory of Government, the paper argues that governmental neglect or failure in asserting territorial control in Southwest Nigeria has allowed bandit groups to flourish, compromising human security and intensifying fear within communities. The study highlights how this dynamic is further exacerbated by porous borders, ineffective anti-grazing laws, and limited technological security measures. While previous literature has connected ungoverned spaces with general insecurity, this paper uniquely focuses on ideological motivations behind the control of such spaces, as seen in Boko Haram’s radicalism. Recommendations include strengthening state capacity through modern surveillance, equipping security forces, and enhancing inter-regional cooperation to effectively mitigate ungoverned spaces and reclaim security in Nigeria. Key Words: Ungoverned Space; Human Security, National Security & Nigeria