The Nexus Between Calimate Change and Rural Insecurity in Northern Nigeria                                               <b></b>

The paper examined the nexus between climate change and rural insecurity in northern Nigeria. Environmental Scarcity Theory served as the theoretical framework. The objective of the paper is to establish the relationship between climate change and rural insecurity. For the methodology, the paper adopted qualitative technique using content analysis. Climate change is an environmental threat of the century caused by natural process and human activities. Nigeria is affected with clime-related insecurity leading to proliferation of armed groups and organized crimes. These groups were farmers, fishermen and pastoral groups. Climate change affect land resource inducing migration and competition over land resources. Shrinking of water points has environmental, human, economic and security implications. Fishing, farming and pastoral activities become affected. Climate change leads to environmental degradation, desertification, erosion, inadequate rainfall and droughts. These produce ecological misfortune for agrarian and pastoral communities. The economy of Nigeria heavily depends on agricultural production. Climate change increases the risk of conflict, poverty, water scarcity, food insecurity, migration, overgrazing and demographic change. Farmers-herders conflict and armed banditry in Nigeria increases due to climate change. The paper recommends that; northern state governments should strengthen laws prohibiting deforestation with aim of controlling climate change. The states should encourage afforestation and criminalize deforestation, create and empower special forest marshal to enforce regulations and control deforestation in the country.