RESOURCE-BASED CONFLICT AND HUMAN SECURITY IN NIGERIA: AN APPRAISAL OF COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE AND INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSES.

Abstract

Resource-based conflicts constitute one of the most enduring threats to human security in Nigeria. Despite the country’s vast natural resource endowment, competition over land, oil, water, and mineral resources has intensified violent conflict, environmental degradation, displacement, and socio-economic insecurity. This paper critically examines the relationship between resource-based conflict and human security in Nigeria, focusing on community experiences and institutional responses. Anchored in the human security framework, the study interrogates how structural inequalities, governance failures, and environmental mismanagement shape everyday insecurity for affected populations. Drawing on secondary qualitative data from academic literature, policy reports, and institutional documents, the paper reveals a persistent disconnect between state-led conflict responses and the lived realities of communities. Institutional interventions are often reactive, coercive, and insufficiently responsive to local needs. The study concludes that addressing resource-based conflict in Nigeria requires a shift towards people-centred security approaches, inclusive governance, and sustainable environmental management.