Trade and Security Challenges: A Case Study of the Hausa Community in Tahoua

This paper discusses Hausa trading activities (kasuwanci/saye da sayarwa) as an aspect of security challenges in Tahoua Region. The ways and manner in which economic factors permit an increase in migration, population growth, and establishment of new settlements and is also believed to create insecurity in the host community. Some of the questions raised by the article include; what are the types of trading activities and the challenges, as well the attitude responsible for their confinement, their nature, effect and impact on security and the development of the societies involved? Thus, this paper aims to find out and analyses the types of security challenges caused by Hausa trading activities in Tahoua Region of the Niger Republic. It will also express the impact of the challenges on the integration and development of the region. The third aim is to provide possible suggestions on behavioural change modalities on the trade attitudes of the Hausa traders in the region. As its methodology, the paper utilises the Contact theory and a Realistic analysis approach, a field study is expected to locate the trading communities and their attitudes. The history of the trade contact, its manner and nature, the trading locations, the commodities and the security challenges will be discussed in the main content of the paper. The paper concludes that even with the co-existing observable peace in the region, other recognizable challenges hinder the expected high level of peace and development of Tahoua Region, as related to the trading activities.