Traditional Institution and Nation Building: The Role of Traditional Rulers in the Maintenance of National Security for Sustainable Development

Abstract

Nigeria has been faced with many security challenges especially since her return to democracy in 1999. Since 1999, the nation witnessed serious security challenges that has not only threatened her existence as a nation but has defied all solutions for its eradication including the efforts of the security agencies to tackle the problem. This calls for an urgent attention and collaboration of the traditional rulers in checking the rising tide of insecurity in Nigeria. As the rulers of various communities, and the custodian of the people’s culture, they have a grip of the people at the grass root and therefore can mobilize  the people for action against insecurity in their domain and by extension the nation. The paper is to examine not only the roles of the traditional rulers in the maintenance of security for an effective nation building but also how the institution to be restructured for it to perform better in the maintenance of national security for sustainable development in Nigeria. This demands that the traditional institution be restructured in a way and manner that it will operate optimally in the maintenance of national security