Nigeria must address the crippling issues of terrorism and its lack of concrete development or risk collapse. Nigeria is the largest African state with two countering religious insurgent groups, with militant Christians in the Nigerian delta region and Boko Haram in the north. The Nigerian state itself is largely dependent on oil exports and trade with the global community. Like other states dependent on a depleting scarce resource, the state operates in a way that leaves out the greater population, only furthering tension. Nigeria is a rentier state with an economy completely propped up by oil revenue and direct foreign investment, the only force of fragile stability in the nation. Oil states that are ripe with corruption, oil export dependency, and marginalized ethnic groups pushed into extreme poverty will become unstable through extremism and terrorism. Nigeria has two lasting insurgency groups, a doubling in population, and a loss of future prospects for the average person. These crises have brought Nigeria to a point where the nation must diversify its economy, develop its infrastructure, and take on poverty or face the possibility of further violence and an increase in terrorist attacks.
Nigeria is the largest and fastest growing nation in Africa with a booming economy that does not incorporate the average person nor the minority groups in the resource-rich areas. The oil delta is the actual source of nearly all of the income for Nigeria yet the local population is the poorest in the country with the highest unemployment rate: a collapse of the previous social structure. These disruptive forces are causing the Christian south to fight back and resist the government and multinational corporations that are making a profit off their land. The Muslim north is also facing a similar issue of poverty that has radicalized the young population to wage an insurgency against the state. The Religious North and south of Nigeria will continue to become increasingly violent if serious steps are not taken by the government to reverse extremism.
MEND
Nigeria is a nation with a history of exploitation under the British empire and corruption and deeply-rooted poverty in the present day. Since the modern state has this type of history, the level of trust for the average person or even the government is fragile at best with regards to the west. The intention of the western powers, especially with development, is a touchy subject as the Nigerian people still carry the scars of western imperialism. Development in the imperial period meant building up infrastructure to facilitate imperialism. Roads, factories, and refineries were all produced by the west but with the only intention of extracting resources and the production of goods to be sold in the open markets. The average person would not experience benefits from old development policies apart from roads and ports. Today development does not necessarily have an underline exploitative nature as it once did but problems still exist, especially now that the government acts as the organic exploitative actor.
The Nigerian River Delta region and the northern Islamic region both have separatist insurgencies with nearly identical social problems rooted in poverty. The problem that stems from poverty is the marriage issues that are deeply rooted in the culture; a man is not a man until he is married. The coming of age for Nigerian men has been shattered as men are often too poor to be married and are thus not culturally considered as fully-grown men. An adult male is considered a boy regardless of age is a social stigma that often forces Nigerian men to find other illegal means to make a living and afford marriage. One method for men to afford marriage is through joining separatist ultra-Christian organizations like Emancipation of the Niger Delta or the al-Qaeda-linked Boko Haram in the north. Both groups operate within the black market with the southern region involved in the illicit oil market and the north being funded by al-Qaeda.
Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) is an organization with its roots as the political gangs or mini armies of local politicians, acting as warlords, fighting for power and seats in the local and central government. MEND was established in 2006 and consisted of prior members and leaders of the political gangs. MEND is currently involved in conflicts, kidnappings, and terrorist attacks against the state, local governments, and the oil industry. The goals of MEND is to gain ownership of the resources that are located underneath the soil of their historical land and to end the exploitation of the Nigerian people. MEND does have a compelling argument with regards to how the state exploits the oil from locals’ backyards and leaves the people with nothing besides extreme pollution, failing infrastructure, and few prospects of a better life. The state’s corruption and rentier policies have benefited the insurgency’s narrative. After a signed armistice with the government in 2011, MEND has fractured into several violent groups like Akhwat Akwop that target, not just the government but also the Muslim north and civilian population. An estimated 1000 civilians have been killed by extremist Christian groups in Northern Muslim-dominant Nigeria.
Boko Haram
The population of northern Nigeria is predominantly Muslim with similar social problems as the Christian river delta. The group Boko Haram (BH/ ISWA) operates in the north as the Islamic State West Africa or ISWA, fomenting violence and instability. BH was initially established as a peaceful fundamentalist organization that desired a return to traditional Muslim values away from an increasingly modern and secular society. After the mid-2000s, the group launched insurgency operations and adopted extremely violent tactics, aligning themselves with al-Qaeda and later the Islamic State. The level of violence and terrorist attacks on soft and hard targets such as schools, the United Nations, and shopping centers have made BH the most dangerous terrorist organization in the world according to the 2015 global terrorism index. The group gained international attention after the kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok region in April 2014. This abduction is still ongoing and launched the ‘bring back our girls’ campaign by the former first lady of the United States, Michelle Obama. The most notable terrorist attack carried out by BH was the 2011 United Nations car bombing in Abuja Nigeria that killed 21 civilians and injured over 60 others. The group is not only fighting the Nigerian State, but also the security forces of neighboring nations like Cameroon, Niger, Chad, and Benin. The estimated refugees from this conflict are well over 2 million displaced people.
Source: The Economist
Fighting Terrorism
The solution for combating terrorism is a multidimensional one that incorporates increased military pressure, the use of knowledgeable local religious leaders, and addresses the underlying causes of terrorism and terrorist grievances. Terrorists that have become militarized and are responsible for the indiscriminate killing of civilians must be confronted in an aggressive, militaristic manner with the end goal of forcing the terrorist groups to lay down their arms or be killed. Yet the military-based approach alone is not enough to end an insurrection or terrorist attacks, but it is one that can limit the ability for groups to carry out high-profile operations. The use of religious leaders is a solution that is often overlooked, but key leaders have local knowledge and trust of the community that they serve. Part of the multidimensional approach to terrorism should be engaging with the key leaders and finding the true concerns of the people that are victims of exploitation by the government and terrorist organizations. Finally, the problem of poverty is the key issue that must be addressed through non-exploitative development. This development translates into funding schools, hospitals, clean water, job prospects, and in fostering a sense of shared identity with the people and the government.