WILBERFORCE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES (WJSS)
ISSN: 2504 – 9232
Volume 11, No. 1, March, 2026
Pages 54-67
DOI: 10.36108/wjss/6202.11.0150
CLIMATE CHANGE AS A THREAT MULTIPLIER: IMPACTS ON ARMED CONFLICT AND POLITICAL STABILITY IN NORTH-EAST NIGERIA
Fortune Ogechi Ojenamah
Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Abstract
Climate change has emerged as a critical non-traditional security threat, particularly in fragile and conflict-prone regions such as North-East Nigeria. This study investigates how climate change functions as a threat multiplier by exacerbating armed conflicts and undermining political stability in North-East Nigeria. The region, already plagued by Boko Haram insurgency and socio-economic fragility, is increasingly vulnerable to environmental stressors such as desertification, erratic rainfall, and dwindling water resources. Drawing on Environmental Security Theory, Political Ecology, and the Human Security Paradigm, the research adopts a qualitative case study approach, utilising key informant interviews, focus group discussions, field observations, and secondary data sources. Findings reveal that climate-induced livelihood collapse intensifies farmer-herder clashes, fuels forced migration, and creates fertile ground for insurgent recruitment. Institutional responses are fragmented and inadequate, while local communities show resilience through informal adaptation and dispute resolution mechanisms. The study concludes that climate change, in fragile contexts, significantly amplifies security threats. The study recommends integrated climate-security policy frameworks, strengthened local governance, livelihood restoration programs, and community-based peacebuilding. Addressing the climate-conflict nexus is essential for achieving sustainable peace and stability in North-East Nigeria.
Keywords: Climate change, armed conflict, political stability, North-East, Nigeria