Socio-Economic Effects of Boko Haram Operations in Nigeria

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2018 in the subject Politics - Region: Africa, grade: 4.7/5, University of Ibadan, language: English, abstract: The Nigerian State since 2009 has been under the throes of the deadly terrorist operations of the Islamic sect formally known as JamaatuAhlis Sunna Liddaawati Wal-Jihad. This sect famously dubbed Boko Haram, meaning western civilization/education is forbidden, claims to be on a mission to Islamize the Nigerian State. Prima facie, Boko Harams motivations appeared to be religious; however considering factors as dismal socio-economic conditions that prevail in the Northern region, the epicenter of the sect, a religious explanation alone is reductive. More so, relevant and related literature was reviewed using conceptual and theoretical approaches. A threefold theoretical framework constituting of Marxian, Relative deprivation, and Frustration aggression respectively were adopted to explain the phenomenon. Unlike other authors who have hinged the operations of the sect to a kind of political undertone; this study deems fit to establish the poor socio economic conditions especially in the North eastern region which have been serving as a veritable ground for the sect quest to gradually dethrone the legitimacy of the Nigerian State. This study also exposes the extent of the damage further caused by the sect violent operations as well as the suitability of the ¿carrot and stick¿ strategies or policies in dealing with the sect negative impact. Hence, this study employs secondary source of data from library materials, newspapers, journals, articles and so on. The findings revealed that the strategies of Nigerian government failed because she failed to address adequately the socio-economic factors that equipped the sect such as unemployment, poverty, corruption/bad leadership, poor economy structure. The research further exposed that the strategy used in curtailing militancy in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria failed to tackle terrorism in the North Eastern part of the country which can be regarded as the nerve of the sect because of the international affiliation and its religious connotation to terrorism.