This study examines the politicisation of insecurity in Nigeria and its economic consequences from a historical perspective. It argues that insecurity has increasingly become intertwined with political competition, elite interests, electoral calculations, and governance challenges, thereby undermining effective responses to violent conflicts. Drawing on historical evidence from the Fourth Republic, the study traces the evolution of insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, farmer-herder conflicts, militancy, and communal violence, and assesses their implications for Nigeria’s economic development. The paper adopts the historical research method, relying on both primary and secondary sources to analyse the relationship between politics, insecurity, and economic performance. It finds that the politicisation of security challenges has discouraged domestic and foreign investment, disrupted agricultural production, reduced commercial activities, weakened industrial productivity, increased unemployment, and strained public finances through rising security expenditures. Furthermore, the persistence of insecurity has deepened poverty, widened regional inequalities, and undermined sustainable development. The study concludes that depoliticising security management, strengthening democratic institutions, enhancing intelligence coordination, promoting inclusive governance, and implementing people-centred economic policies are essential for restoring national stability and fostering long-term economic growth. It recommends sustained political commitment to transparent security governance and comprehensive economic reforms capable of addressing the structural causes of insecurity in Nigeria.
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