Violence and Happiness in Nigeria

Abstract

Despite the prevalence of violence in Nigeria, large-scale empirical research examining its relationship with psychological well-being remains limited. This study addresses that gap using data from the World Values Survey (WVS). Violence is operationalised through two indicators: Violent conflict , defined as the total number of conflict incidents within a 40-km radius of respondents’ dwellings, and Victimisation , a binary measure indicating whether the respondent or an immediate family member experienced crime in the past year. The outcome variable— Happiness —is measured using a four-point Likert scale ranging from ‘Not at all happy’ to ‘Very happy’. Regression analysis reveals a negative association between violence and happiness, robust across alternative measures of happiness and different estimation techniques. These findings are consistent with the proposition that violence functions as an existential threat that erodes psychological resilience and undermines core aspects of human security.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Insight on Africa, 2026 · DOI ↗