Critical Examination Of Economic Decline In Igbo Markets And Militarisation Of The Region: The Challenge Of Failure Of Political Class To Address Systemic Injustices In Nigeria
Ass. Professor Orie, Sylvester Okorie, PhD, MSc, MPA, MBA, PGD, BSc, CNA, FCNA, FNIM, FCAI.
Department of Public Administration & Policy Studies, Tansian University Umunya, Anambra State, Nigeria.
Keywords: Economy, Security, Justice, Governance, Conflict, Development
Abstract
This study undertakes a critical reflection on the nexus between economic decline in Igbo markets and the intensification of militarisation across South Eastern Nigeria, with particular reference to the destabilisation of commercial activities in major trading hubs such as Onitsha Main Market. The main objective of the study is to interrogate the extent to which coercive security practices have contributed to the disruption of trade, erosion of investor confidence, and the gradual contraction of regional market systems. The study adopts a descriptive survey and explanatory research design, utilising both quantitative and qualitative methods. Data were sourced from primary instruments including structured questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and key informant engagements, as well as secondary materials derived from government reports, academic literature, and investigative publications such as those of Premium Times. Analytical procedures were conducted using descriptive and inferential statistical tools, complemented by thematic content analysis, while the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) served as the principal analytical software. Methodologically, the study employed triangulation, stratified and purposive sampling techniques, and cross-validation strategies to enhance reliability and validity, with the Yaro Yamane (1967) formula utilised to determine a statistically representative sample size. The theoretical foundation is anchored on Political Economy Theory, Theory of State Fragility, and Institutional Theory, which collectively illuminate the dynamics of power, governance failure, and economic distortion. The findings reveal that the proliferation of security checkpoints and systemic extortion have significantly increased transportation costs and distorted market pricing mechanisms; that traders and transporters from neighbouring states such as Enugu State and Delta State increasingly avoid major markets due to insecurity, thereby reducing commercial inflows; and that governance inertia and weak institutional oversight have entrenched a cycle of economic decline and public distrust. In response, the study recommends comprehensive security sector reforms, enforcement of accountability mechanisms, and the introduction of transparent transport and market regulatory frameworks. It concludes, in the most emphatic terms, that without a decisive recalibration of security governance and institutional responsibility, the South Eastern region risks a sustained trajectory of economic disarticulation and systemic decline.