Implications of ‘Boko Haram’ Terrorism on National Development in Nigeria: A Critical Review

The Boko Haram insurgency has lately introduced a terrorist dimension into the crime space in Nigeria. The trademarks of the Boko Haram are wanton destruction of lives and property with reckless abandon, through bombings, abduction and slaughtering of human beings like rams, especially in Northern Nigeria. This has created palpable fear and sense of insecurity in the polity. It is a fact that the development of any country in the world is dependent on many factors, which may fast-track or retards its growth, among which security is central. Security of lives and property plays a major role in the development of any country, as investors in any economy want to be assured of the safety of their investments. Since the risk of doing business increases when there is insecurity in the polity, investors who are to facilitate industrial growth and employment generation, try as much as possible to avoid such an unfavourable business environment. Also, combating a scourge like Boko Haram necessarily involves a significant drain on the nation’s material and human resources. This paper studies the impact of terrorism as championed by Boko Haram, on sustainable national development in Nigeria. The study proffers that government as a matter of priority must do everything possible to put an end to Boko Haram terrorism, and also reduce youths’ unemployment to the barest minimum to forestall further easy recruitment into terrorist and other criminal gangs. Security agencies should be effectively motivated and mobilized as critical stakeholders. The study was anchored on the System theory as propounded by Ludwig von Bertalanffy theory. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n16p48