ECONOMIC TERRORISM AND NATIONAL SECURITY IN NIGERIA: THE IMPACT OF FINANCIAL DISRUPTION ON STATE STABILITY
Keywords:
Economic terrorism, financial sabotage, national security, state and stability, Nigeria’s economiesAbstract
Economic terrorism has increasingly emerged as a critical yet overlooked aspect of Nigeria’s national security issues. Unlike traditional forms of violence, economic terrorism occurs through intentional disruptions to financial systems manipulation of public revenue streams, misappropriation of state funds, obstruction of budgetary processes, cyber-attacks on banking entities and distortions in resource allocation. These actions take advantage of weaknesses in Nigeria’s financial infrastructure to weaken state capability, compromise economic independence and diminish citizens’ faith in government. Grounded in Political Economy Theory and Securitization Theory, this study explores how patterns of financial sharing especially leaks, unfair distribution, corruption and poor management create structural weaknesses that jeopardize Nigeria’s security framework. Using a qualitative research design and backed by real-world examples from Nigeria’s banking, oil, agricultural and public finance sectors, the study shows that economic terrorism worsens unemployment, inflation, fiscal pressure, institutional instability and social discord. Results reveal that Nigeria’s vulnerability is amplified by poor regulatory oversight, established patronage systems, unclear financial transactions and insufficient technological protections. The study concludes that economic terrorism poses a serious long-term danger to Nigeria’s national stability, akin to standard security threats. It suggests improving financial governance, boosting transparency measures, enhancing coordination between agencies, and establishing strong systems to protect the integrity of financial distribution.
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