Rural-Push, Urban-Pull: A Nightmare for Big Cities

About 100 million rural dwellers in Nigeria face the risk of violence. Unprecedented spread of violence is reshaping communal living, agro-economic and cultural activities. Piles of disfigured bodies, life-threatening injuries, forced displacements, and attendant humanitarian needs are the scenes of many Nigerian rural communities. Mass burials have joined the list of community events such as marriage ceremonies, religious rituals and cultural festivals. The reasons for this anomaly have a common denominator: rural violence. The spread of violence in communities is uneven and perpetrated by a mix of different actors, motivations and consequences. This trend is an impending nightmare for urban dwellers who, for a long time, have appeared to be buffered by relative stability and structure in city centres.

This edition of the Nextier SPD Policy Weekly examines the spread of rural violence and its consequences for Nigeria.

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