The Boko Haram Insurgency - Driving Factors Behind the Existence of the Boko Haram Group in Nigeria

Abstract

This paper explores the factors driving the emergence and evolution of Boko Haram, the Islamist group that has displaced some 2.2 million people and killed close to 20,000 people in Northern Nigeria. It traces the group’s emergence to multiple factors, including Nigeria’s colonial history, political instability, the role of ideology, the North-South divide, and the role of Northern political elites in contributing to the backwardness of Northern Nigeria. The paper also shows how the contemporary insurgency has historical echoes of Islamist groups of the 19th century. Finally, the paper proposes some counter-terrorism strategies to curb violent extremism in Nigeria.