Famoye Abiodun Daniels
Adekunle Ajasin University, Nigeria
Abstract
There is no doubt that security has
always remained one of the major pillars on which the development of any human
society is built. In fact, it is doubtful if any society has prospered in the
absence of security. This is because it is only under a secured atmosphere that
all machinery of development can perform effectively and bring about the
desired goals. Even in pre-colonial Yorubaland, the people recognised the
significance of security to their well-being and as such, they had in place
various mechanisms aimed at the maintenance and sustenance of their security.
It is on this basis that this paper identifies and examines the main features
of internal security system of Akungba-Akoko prior to colonialism. It is
observed and argued that a major reason why the system was effective was the
fact that it was built around the existing socio-political structure of the
society, which closely involved the people and made them to see themselves as
major stakeholders. The study is pursued through the historical methodologies
of narration and critical analysis of data, while the concept of African
socialism is used as the framework for analysis. The paper, therefore,
concludes that there are lessons in the pre-colonial security arrangements that
the contemporary Nigerian society can lean from and which may go a long way to
address some of its existing security challenges.
Keywords:
Nigeria, Yorubaland, Akungba-Akoko, Security, African Socialism and Development
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