Restructuring, National Security and Nigeria’s Relationship with the External World

Abstract

Nigeria as a nation has been experiencing security challenges at alarming level in the last few years. This has taken various forms such as kidnapping from ransom, herders and farmers clashes, organized crimes, and cybercrimes, implosive movement of small and light arms. Trans border crimes, human trafficking, and slavery among others. This has affected Nigeria’s external relations with the outside world negatively in various ways, such as constriction of bilateral trade volume, cold diplomatic relations, low tourism attraction, low educational exchang e, reduction of military trainings abroad, refusal of arms purchase, low foreign investments among others. The diversity nature of the Nigerian state stands a gap in finding solutions to the myriads of problems as Nigeria’s image abroad has been dented badly. Restructuring the Nigerian state in various spheres has been the agitation of many Nigerians in the recent time. This paper therefore examines restructuring the Nigerian state, National security and its implications on her relationship with the external world. It is a qualitative paper that focused on secondary sources of information, and adopted structural functional theory as its framework of analysis. The paper argued that restructuring the political structures in Nigeria will advance quality security in Nigeria. It is the opinion of the paper that improves security in the country will enhance robust Nigerian’s relationship with the external world. The paper recommended among others, the restructuring of political economic and social structures through the instrument and legitimacy of national conference. This has to be backed by legislations from the national and state assembly.

Keywords: Restructuring, External Relationships, National Security, Political Structure, National Conference