Effects of Boko Haram Insurgency on Socio – Economic Development of Nigeria: Implications for Yobe State

In recent years, there has been a surge in both the tempo and range of global insurgencies and terrorism. Nearly every continent has faced this mounting security challenge. Nigeria is confronted with frightening challenges to its political stability dictated by terrorism. Nigeria is plagued by political, economic and social crises, menacing its continuing existence as a nation-state. Insurgency is one of the expressions of the crises. The insurgency of Boko Haram, which started as a weak, disorganized, loosely coordinated and inchoate movement, mutated to cause serious threats to national security. It developed the capability for strategic power projection, strategic intelligence, and the building of wide-ranging linkages to subvert the state. This study “ Effects of Boko Haram Insurgency on Socio – Economic Development of Nigeria: Implications for Yobe State” is descriptive in nature and relied heavily on secondary data for critical analysis. The effects of insurgency is on the state and individual members of the state principally, residents of Yobe state through destruction of lives and properties, destruction of schools which have led to the closure of so many schools in the state and the almost complete breakdown of an already feeble public health system, disruption of businesses, lessening in government revenue, fear of foreign investors to live and do business. political instability, among others and on the neighbouring northern states affecting the economic life. It is recommended in this study that to remedy the menace of the Insurgency in Nigeria there is need for coordinated Government response to the Boko Haram threat and with focus, for this to be feasible, state must be able to close three "gaps”: security, capacity and legitimacy. Poverty and unemployment are among the major root causes of Boko Haram insurgency hence there is an urgent need for a robust social protection scheme with special preference for the north. Food, education, shelter, health care and employment creation should be the basis of this scheme. Women, children and youths should be the target Key Words: Insurgency, National Security, Yobe State, Socio – Economic Development, Boko Haram, Terrorism.