Evaluating Nigeria’s counter-terrorism framework
Progress, pitfalls, and prospects
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19224768 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ugwumba Egbuta (0009-0003-9603-9363, National Defence College, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-21 |
| Publication date | 2026-04-26 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | African Identities (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1472-5843 • E-ISSN: 1472-5851 |
| Publisher | Routledge (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/14725843.2026.2661071 |
| OpenAlex | W7156099853 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 13 |
Nigeria has faced persistent security threats from terrorist groups, particularly Boko Haram and factions from the Islamic State's West Africa Province, as well as other groups that manifest in banditry, kidnapping, among others. In an effort to counter these threats, the Nigerian government developed a range of counter-terrorism measures encompassing military operations, legal instruments, institutional frameworks, regional cooperation arrangements, and civilian-driven efforts aimed at addressing the root cause of the insecurity. This article evaluates Nigeria’s counter-terrorism framework by analysing its progress, identifying key pitfalls, and exploring future prospects. Grounded in the theory of securitization and institutionalism, the paper adopted a qualitative methodology, using document analysis and expert interviews. The findings revealed a partial success, including improved regional cooperation and institutional establishment, but highlighted significant challenges such as fragmented institutional support, military-heavy approach and civilian harm, trust deficit at community levels, youth vulnerability, human rights questions, and delayed justices resulting from weak judicial processes. The article concludes with recommendations to enhance Nigeria’s CT framework through institutional reforms, removal of barriers to effective inter-agency cooperation, community-based counterterrorism and violent extremism, reform of the justice system, and integrated development strategies
Context (archaeology) · Legislation · Process (computing) · African Education and Politics · Diverse Research Studies Overview · Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence
Tenure through Tyranny? Repression, Dissent, and Leader Removal in Africa and Latin America, 1990–2006
Document Analysis as a Qualitative Research Method
Arnaud de Nanteuil. Droit International de l’investissement
Using thematic analysis in psychology
The analytical study of terrorism
The New Institutionalism
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |