State Failure and Growing Insecurity in the Nigerian Oil Industry

In spite of the robust stock of literature on the problem of state failure in Nigeria and Africa, there are scarcely any rigorous studies that link state failure to the growing security menace in the Nigerian oil industry. The article analysis the thorny problem of insecurity in the Nigerian oil industry, and how the 'transnational oil companies' (TNOCs) that dominate the industry are responding to the challenge. The study makes some thoughtful suggestions on how to re-capacitate and re-position the state to effectively provide security to the oil industry, the host communities and beyond.