THE IMPACT OF VIOLENT CONFLICTS ON SELECTED SDGs IN NASARAWA STATE’S SOUTHERN SENATORIAL ZONE

Abstract

The endemic nature of the violent conflict, which has led to the widespread destruction of lives and property in the Southern Senatorial Zone of Nasarawa State, has led many to wonder if the realization of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is possible in Nasarawa State by 2030. Thus, the study seeks to examine the effects of violent conflicts and their implications for the realization of SDGs in the Southern Senatorial Zone of Nasarawa State. The specific objectives of the study are to (i) analyse the nature of violent conflicts in the Southern Senatorial Zone of Nasarawa State, and (ii) examine the impact of violent conflicts on Sustainable Development Goals in the Southern Senatorial Zone of Nasarawa State. The study made use of the survey method due to the study population of 245,025 households in the Southern Senatorial Zone of Nasarawa State. A multi-stage sampling – Purposive, Stratified, and Random sampling techniques were used to select a sample for the study. Cross-sectional data were collected from October to November 2024 using a structured questionnaire and analysed at a 5% level of significance. Descriptive statistics (tables, frequencies, and cumulative frequencies) and multinomial logit were used to analyse the results. The findings of the study were that the nature of violent conflicts in the Southern Senatorial Zone of Nasarawa State is mostly unilateral attacks (91.88%), which affected most youths (44.16) and that violent conflict manifestation in terms of health care challenges, school access challenges, death, injury,  displacement, drug addiction among youths, disruption of economic opportunity, unemployment, water challenge and destruction of dwelling, adversely affected the first four SDGs – No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Good Health and Wellbeing, Quality Education. The findings revealed that the No Poverty goal is the worst hit, with profound implications for the realisation of all the SDGs. The study concluded that the adverse effects of violent conflicts are generally ruinous in the Southern Senatorial Zone of Nasarawa State. The study recommended that the Nasarawa State government should be proactive in ameliorating the adverse effects of violent conflicts on No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-being, and Quality Education goals to enhance the chances of realising  sustainable development goals – SDGs in Nasarawa, Nigeria by 2030.