CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1. BACKGROUND OF STUDY

The issue of political instability is a common phenomenon that continues to dominate the political terrain in Nigeria. Although Nigeria is regarded as the “giant of Africa”, yet the country has passed and is still passing through several restless stages of conflict and violence. The process of gaining entrance into the corridor political power is replete with violence and conflicts, resulting from rivalry and suspicions among the various ethnic groups in the country that have culminated in political instability across the entire country. From the pre-independence era till date, Nigeria is still being affected by injustices and oppressions system that were handed down by the past colonial leaders. The resultant effect of which is the weak institutions of the state and incessant struggle for political power. This, in many instances, is to the detriment of the well-being of the masses and the development of the country at large. This is despite the abundant human and natural resources prevalent in the nation. Although Nigeria got her independence in 1960, the struggle for national development and political stability continue to be a mirage.

This must not be unconnected with the stormy political and social condition in the country manifesting in poverty, corruption, poor planning and implementation and general indiscipline in the society. The issue of political instability has been a major challenge rocking the country with violence over the decade of Nigeria’s independence as a nation and the period after the country’s civil war between 1967 and 1970. There had been series of sporadic violence and counter attacks by different regions due to suspicion and mistrust in Nigeria’s geo-political landscape. The fundamental taproots of violence in the country always lead to unpredictable and unpleasant experiences, such as, bombing, murdering of innocent people and destabilization of the existing vulnerable regions into political uncertainty. This is with no thanks to the series of tension and threats that have been engulfing the nation to date Political instability in Nigeria started two years after independence, with the leadership crises within the Action Group (AG) (which eventually led to the declaration of a state emergency in 1962), the controversial population census of 1962/63, and the “Operation Wet E” in the Western Region (which eventually led to the military take-over of government in the country in 1966) These marked the commencement of the series of violence and conflicts which the country is witnessing to date. The trend continued unabated,hence, tension, violence and counter-threats which were deliberately invited by some elites to the destruction of the country’s political plan between 1962 and 1966 in the Western region and the whole of the country.

Raji and Ajibade (2014) opine that the appearance of violence and political conflicts has never been separated from the country’s politics neither in the past nor in the Present. From the aforementioned, there is a clear indication that politics in Nigeria has been the opposite of what it is in the developed countries and Nigerian politicians in particular are still backward in terms of their values, such as unfulfilled promises, political corruption, greed, violence, tribalism and intimidation. Political instability is said to manifest through fraud, embezzlement and misappropriation of public funds, inflation of award of contracts, lack of accountability and transparency in governance, discrimination in wealth distribution among others. There is a noticeable impact of political instability in the life of Nigerians resulting in corruption, economic distortion and underdevelopment. The issue of state failure and instability is one of great concern for the west and the inhabitants of fragile states throughout Africa. Terrorist groups such as Boko Haram (Nigeria), Ansar Dine (Mali), Al-Shabaab (Somalia), and al-Qa’ida (Niger, Mali, Algeria) just to name a few have developed in these unstable regions. An examination of this magnitude, is a international security concern, as terrorist groups are known to emerge from weak or failed states. To add, said states are among the poorest and most underdeveloped. Therefore, it is important to understand what pushes a state to collapse, in hope that policy can work to improve the political and economic stability throughout Africa. Education has often been seen as a fundamentally optimistic human endeavour characterized by aspirations for progress and betterment. It is understood by many to be a means of overcoming handicaps, achieving greater equality and acquiring wealth and social status. Education is something that is perceived by many as a place where children can develop according to their unique needs and potential. It is also perceived as one of the best means to achieve greater social equality (Reddy, 2016). The countries across the world are, therefore, placing a premium on secondary education (Bhoite, 2012). It is in the light of the above-mentioned challenges in the Nigerian polity, that this paper examines the effects of political instability on educational attainment of children.