Econoimic Viability And Good Governance: A Panacea To Crime In Nigeria

Every man in a particular society deserves survival. Survival in this sense is not just to be alive alone, but to be accorded some basic needs of life such as food, shelter, clothing, etc. Where this is lacking, then there is a threat to man’s life and survival and the end result is crime. Crime is part of the social configuration of the society and cannot be totally eradicated. The objective of this paper is to justify the fact that where survival is highly competitive, the rate of crime will be high. This is because the need to survive is non negotiable to every man. It is further argued that the above fact resulted in the failure of the theories and forms of punishment which are developed with the sole aim of reducing crime in the society. The methodology adopted is both doctrinal and empirical with primary source from relevant case laws and statutes. The secondary source includes internet sources, bible, articles in journal, books, data, etc. The paper concludes that the various forms of punishments enshrined in our criminal justice system are grossly inadequate in tackling crime and thus suggested that if government can create a good economic environment and good governance where men can survive with less competition and class struggle, the rate of crime will be reduced far beyond the adoption of penology.