AN ASSESSMENT OF CONFLICT AND PEACE-TIME EXPERIENCES ON ECONOMIC AND INFRASTRUCTURAL TRANSFORMATION OF WUKARI TOWN, 2013-2024

Abstract

One of the catalysts for economic and infrastructural transformation is security. An environment richly endowed with potential but devoid of effective security measures will inevitably experience stagnation. On the other hand, an environment not richly endowed but with effective security architecture, over time, develops potential that ultimately leads to economic and infrastructural development. Wukari, a historical town in southern Taraba, has undergone a period of violent crises and lack of social cohesion as well as peacetime experience, all of which, consequently, defined the social and economic landscape of the town. This study examines the transformation dynamics of Wukari town within the context of a serene and secure environment vis-à- vis a turbulent and insecure environment from 2013 to 2024. It attempts a comparative assessment of the transformation of the town during the period of conflict and thesocial disconnect, as against the steady and increasing economic and infrastructural development of the town after the conflict. The research relied on the use of oral interviews and critical assessment of written records – journals, books, monographs, and documentaries about Wukari's socio-economic development in its methods of data collection. The discourse analysis reveals with visible evidence the state of stagnation, retrogression, and disillusionment that engulfed the Wukari community during the conflict period. On the other hand, it portrays the steady economic and infrastructural development occasioned by the peace-time experience in Wukari.