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Explaining the emergence of Boko Haram: state failure and relative deprivation
For more than a decade, Boko Haram terror attacks, although not regular occurrences, have remained the greatest security threats in Nigeria, mostly in the north-east and in neighbouring countries in the Lake Chad Basin. The group has threatened social, economic and political stability, which in turn...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_US |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2020
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| _version_ | 1867613763571548160 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Mavhura, Bathromeu |
| author2 | Lamb, Guy |
| author_browse | Lamb, Guy Mavhura, Bathromeu |
| author_facet | Lamb, Guy Mavhura, Bathromeu |
| author_sort | Mavhura, Bathromeu |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | For more than a decade, Boko Haram terror attacks, although not regular occurrences, have remained the greatest security threats in Nigeria, mostly in the north-east and in neighbouring countries in the Lake Chad Basin. The group has threatened social, economic and political stability, which in turn impedes economic development. Corruption, poverty, unemployment, and inequality remain acute in Nigeria, specifically in the north-east region in which Boko Haram attacks have been dominant and recurring. The study utilises desktop research and employs state failure and relative deprivation theory as the methodology and analytical framework to help explain the emergence and the rise of Boko Haram. The study examines how inequality, corruption, unemployment, and poverty have created fertile grounds for resentment and anger in Nigeria. It also examines the ways in which these factors have made it difficult to curb the terror attacks. The connection between state failure and relative deprivation and its links to terrorism are explored by linking the theory and the empirical evidence of bad governance, poverty, unemployment and human security inequalities in north-east Nigeria. The study contends that Nigeria as a whole should not be called a failed or a failing state. However, the north-east region falls under the umbrella of failed or failing state because of available evidence of the characteristics of a failed or failing state. There the extent of poverty and underdevelopment is relatively higher than other states in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The study argues that the state's response to the Boko Haram problem has been the use of a heavy-handed military approach, with severe human rights violations and limited efforts to address the main causes of the crisis. This approach is combined with an absence of non-violent conflict resolution approaches such as negotiations. Regional and continental bodies have also made use of military interventions, while there have been fewer efforts to address the root causes. On a state level, the study argues that corruption, lack of political will, poor security mechanisms, and human rights abuses have worsened the situation and have made intervention efforts less effective. The regional and continental bodies also lacked the capacity and the common will to intervene timeously to resolve the crisis. The thesis concludes by recommending that the state and all parties involved embrace a ‘soft’ approach that aims to address the root causes of the problem in the north-eastern region, which Boko Haram has capitalised on, in order to garner support from the disgruntled youth. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/108954 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_US |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:41:19.170Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2020 |
| publishDateRange | 2020 |
| publishDateSort | 2020 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/108954 Explaining the emergence of Boko Haram: state failure and relative deprivation Mavhura, Bathromeu Lamb, Guy Struckmann, Christiane Boko Haram BH (Boko Haram) Boko Harram Jamāʻat Ahl al-Sunnah li-Daʻwah wa-l-Jihād Nigerian Taliban Failed states -- Africa -- History -- 20th century State failure -- Africa -- History -- 20th century Africa -- Politics and government -- 20th century Islamic fundamentalism -- Africa Fundamentalism, Islamic Africa -- Politics and government -- 20th century Poverty -- Africa Terrorism -- Africa National security -- Africa National security -- Government policy -- Africa NSP (National security policy) -- Africa UCTD For more than a decade, Boko Haram terror attacks, although not regular occurrences, have remained the greatest security threats in Nigeria, mostly in the north-east and in neighbouring countries in the Lake Chad Basin. The group has threatened social, economic and political stability, which in turn impedes economic development. Corruption, poverty, unemployment, and inequality remain acute in Nigeria, specifically in the north-east region in which Boko Haram attacks have been dominant and recurring. The study utilises desktop research and employs state failure and relative deprivation theory as the methodology and analytical framework to help explain the emergence and the rise of Boko Haram. The study examines how inequality, corruption, unemployment, and poverty have created fertile grounds for resentment and anger in Nigeria. It also examines the ways in which these factors have made it difficult to curb the terror attacks. The connection between state failure and relative deprivation and its links to terrorism are explored by linking the theory and the empirical evidence of bad governance, poverty, unemployment and human security inequalities in north-east Nigeria. The study contends that Nigeria as a whole should not be called a failed or a failing state. However, the north-east region falls under the umbrella of failed or failing state because of available evidence of the characteristics of a failed or failing state. There the extent of poverty and underdevelopment is relatively higher than other states in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The study argues that the state's response to the Boko Haram problem has been the use of a heavy-handed military approach, with severe human rights violations and limited efforts to address the main causes of the crisis. This approach is combined with an absence of non-violent conflict resolution approaches such as negotiations. Regional and continental bodies have also made use of military interventions, while there have been fewer efforts to address the root causes. On a state level, the study argues that corruption, lack of political will, poor security mechanisms, and human rights abuses have worsened the situation and have made intervention efforts less effective. The regional and continental bodies also lacked the capacity and the common will to intervene timeously to resolve the crisis. The thesis concludes by recommending that the state and all parties involved embrace a ‘soft’ approach that aims to address the root causes of the problem in the north-eastern region, which Boko Haram has capitalised on, in order to garner support from the disgruntled youth. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Boko Haram se terreuraanvalle, alhoewel nie gereelde voorvalle nie, skep al vir meer as ’n dekade die grootste veiligheidsbedreigings in Nigerië, meestal in die noordooste en in die buurlande in die Tsjadmeer bekken. Die groep bedreig sosiale, ekonomiese en politieke stabiliteit, wat weer ekonomiese ontwikkeling belemmer. Korrupsie, armoede, werkloosheid en ongelykheid bly ernstig in Nigerië, veral in die noordoostelike streek waar die Boko Haram aanvalle hoofsaaklik en herhalend voorkom. Die studie gebruik rekenaarnavorsing en teorieë in verband met staatsmislukking en relatiewe deprivasie as die metodologie en die ontledingsraamwerk om die opkoms en uitbreiding van Boko Haram te help verklaar. Die studie ondersoek hoe ongelykheid, korrupsie, werkloosheid en armoede vrugbare gronde vir wrokkigheid en woede in Nigerië skep. Dit ondersoek ook die maniere waarop hierdie faktore dit moeilik maak om die terreuraanvalle in bedwang te bring. Die verband tussen staatsmislukking en relatiewe deprivasie, en hoe dit by terrorisme aansluit, word ondersoek deur die teorie en die empiriese bewyse van swak regering, armoede, werkloosheid en ongelykhede betreffende menslike veiligheid in die noordooste van Nigerië, met mekaar in verband te bring. Die studie voer aan dat Nigerië in sy geheel nie ’n mislukte of mislukkende staat genoem behoort te word nie. Die noordoostelike streek val egter onder die sambreel van ’n mislukte of mislukkende staat vanweë beskikbare bewyse van kenmerke van ’n mislukte of mislukkende staat. Die omvang van die armoede en onderontwikkeling is daar relatief hoër as in ander state in die Federale Republiek van Nigerië. Die studie voer verder aan dat die staat se reaksie op die Boko Haram probleem die gebruik van ’n hardhandige militaristiese benadering was, met ernstige menseregteskendings en beperkte pogings om die hoofoorsake van die krisis aan te spreek. Hierdie benadering word gekombineer met ’n afwesigheid van niegewelddadige benaderings tot konflikoplossing, byvoorbeeld onderhandelings. Streeks en kontinentale liggame het ook militêre ingryping gebruik, terwyl daar minder pogings aangewend is om die grondoorsake daarvan aan te spreek. Op staatsvlak voer die studie aan dat korrupsie, ’n gebrek aan politieke wil, swak veiligheidsmeganismes en menseregteskendings die situasie vererger en pogings tot ingryping minder effektief maak. Die streeks en kontinentale liggame het ook nie die kapasiteit en die gemeenskaplike wil om betyds in te gryp om die krisis op te los nie. Die referaat sluit af deur aan te beveel dat die staat en alle betrokkenes ’n “sagte” benadering aanvaar, gemik op die oplossing van die grondoorsake van die noordoostelike streek se probleme waaruit Boko Haram munt slaan, ten einde die steun van die ontevrede jeug te bekom. Masters 2020-12-03T13:49:16Z 2020-12-03T13:49:16Z 2020-12-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/108954 en_US Stellenbosch University viii, 139 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Boko Haram BH (Boko Haram) Boko Harram Jamāʻat Ahl al-Sunnah li-Daʻwah wa-l-Jihād Nigerian Taliban Failed states -- Africa -- History -- 20th century State failure -- Africa -- History -- 20th century Africa -- Politics and government -- 20th century Islamic fundamentalism -- Africa Fundamentalism, Islamic Africa -- Politics and government -- 20th century Poverty -- Africa Terrorism -- Africa National security -- Africa National security -- Government policy -- Africa NSP (National security policy) -- Africa UCTD Mavhura, Bathromeu Explaining the emergence of Boko Haram: state failure and relative deprivation |
| title | Explaining the emergence of Boko Haram: state failure and relative deprivation |
| title_full | Explaining the emergence of Boko Haram: state failure and relative deprivation |
| title_fullStr | Explaining the emergence of Boko Haram: state failure and relative deprivation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Explaining the emergence of Boko Haram: state failure and relative deprivation |
| title_short | Explaining the emergence of Boko Haram: state failure and relative deprivation |
| title_sort | explaining the emergence of boko haram state failure and relative deprivation |
| topic | Boko Haram BH (Boko Haram) Boko Harram Jamāʻat Ahl al-Sunnah li-Daʻwah wa-l-Jihād Nigerian Taliban Failed states -- Africa -- History -- 20th century State failure -- Africa -- History -- 20th century Africa -- Politics and government -- 20th century Islamic fundamentalism -- Africa Fundamentalism, Islamic Africa -- Politics and government -- 20th century Poverty -- Africa Terrorism -- Africa National security -- Africa National security -- Government policy -- Africa NSP (National security policy) -- Africa UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/108954 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mavhurabathromeu explainingtheemergenceofbokoharamstatefailureandrelativedeprivation |