SUCCESSIVE FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS AND MANAGEMENT OF SECURITY CHALLENGES IN NIGERIA: A CASE STUDY OF THE BUHARI ADMINISTRATION 2015-2023

This study examined the security challenges, policies, and outcomes of the Buhari administration between 2015 and 2023. The objectives were to identify the key security challenges that confronted the government, to assess the effectiveness of the strategies adopted, and to evaluate the successes and failures recorded in the management of insecurity during the period. The research adopted a descriptive survey design. A structured questionnaire was administered to 300 respondents in Ondo State, and the data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency distributions, percentages, and Pearson correlation. The findings revealed that insecurity under Buhari’s administration was multi-dimensional, involving insurgency, banditry, farmer–herder clashes, oil theft, cybercrime, communal violence, and widespread internal displacement. While counter-insurgency operations succeeded in weakening Boko Haram’s territorial control and improving intelligence gathering, other threats such as kidnapping and rural banditry worsened. Furthermore, respondents emphasized that root causes of insecurity poverty, unemployment, weak institutions, and ethno-religious divisions—remained largely unaddressed. The test of hypothesis confirmed a strong positive relationship (r = 0.725, p = 0.000) between Buhari’s security strategies and the level of insecurity. This result indicates that despite intensified security efforts, insecurity persisted and in some cases escalated alongside government interventions. The study concludes that Buhari’s administration achieved modest progress in degrading insurgency and improving intelligence, but fell short in addressing structural drivers of violence and ensuring long-term stability.Based on these findings, the study recommends that future governments adopt a multidimensional security approach that combines intelligence-led operations with poverty reduction, youth employment, community policing, and strengthened institutional capacity. Only by integrating military strategies with social and economic reforms can Nigeria achieve lasting peace and security.