INSECURITY AND BUSINESS IN IGBOLAND: A RE-EXAMINATION OF THEIR INTERRACTIONS, 1895 – 1970

Abstract

Addressing the challenge of insecurity has proven extremely difficult for the Nigerian government. The proliferation of terrorist groups with global linkages and their nefarious activities have also worsened this challenge. While it can be argued that insecurity has negatively affected business operations in the country leading to the fleeing of some foreign investors, it is untrue to posit that insecurity has significantly or fully hindered the operation of businesses in the country. On the contrary, this paper argues that insecurity has sometimes widened business space rather than shrink it. The fact that insecurity has been commercialized and also globalized explains why it is difficult to deal with and why it is necessary for businesses to devise means to cope with it. Hence, this paper interrogates the wide assumption that insecurity stifles business prosperity by historically re-examining the interaction of insecurity with businesses in Igboland. It examines the nature of the relationship that has existed between insecurity and business prosperity between 1895 and 1970. The objective is to contribute to scholarly debates and discourses on the impact of insecurity on businesses in Igboland. Whereas majority of scholars believe that insecurity is unqualifiedly inimical to business operation and prosperity, some believe it favours certain businesses. The paper adopts a historical methodology, making use of primary (mainly oral interviews) and secondary sources presented in descriptive and discursive frameworks. The findings reveal that the interaction of insecurity and business in Igboland is not mono-directional (purely negative or purely positive) but both catastrophic and catalytic for certain businesses. The paper concludes that insecurity does not always foreclose business prospects as has been exaggeratingly concluded and that its negative impact on business can be managed.