INSECURITY AND THE LIVELIHOOD OF WOMEN IN SANKERA AXIS OF BENUE STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Insecurity is the state of being unsafe or insecure or a state of mind characterized by self-doubt and vulnerability. Some of the security challenges facing Nigeria are food, finance, transport, health care, personal and national security issues. We also witness political and tribal/ethnic crises, political assassinations and kidnapping/abduction in different parts of the country. There are cases of armed robbery here and there, human trafficking, conflicts between Fulani herdsmen and farmers. Every Sector of the economy is disrupted in one way or the other by the continued insecurity in the country. Efforts by the government are other concerned bodies to reduce insecurity have not yielded positive results. The study examined insecurity and the livelihold of women in Sankera Axis of Benue State, Nigeria. This study adopted a cross sectional study design. The study was conducted in Benue State whereby the major areas across the political zones in the state were selected. A total number of 380 respondents participated in the study.  It was revealed in the study that there was a high rate of insecurity in Sankera. The causes of insecurity  in the area are youth restiveness, unfairness, weak security system, loss of socio-cultural and communal value system, youth unemployment, the culture of get rich-quick based on greed, proliferation of small arms. It was revealed that the  phenomenon  of  insecurity in Sankera  typifies  what  is  known  as  resource  violence in contemporary  development  literature. This situation has been complicated by the rising incidence of livelihood insecurity among the farming and herding communities as a result of the dwindling ecological fortunes of the region. It was recommended among others that various social, religious and traditional institutions in the state should encourage     their      members or subject on attitudinal change and the possibility of leaving in peace with            others. This can be achieved through proper education, value re-orientation and enlightenment.