ASSESSMENT OF NATIONAL COUNTER TERRORISM STRATEGY AND HUMAN SECURITY IN BORNO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Terrorism is still impacting Borno State more than a decade after the National Counter- Terrorism Strategy (NACTEST) of Nigeria was adopted, leaving a question of how far the strategy has gone in yielding its desired results. While military operations have played a role in territorial recovery, a focus on timely security responses appears to have overshadowed other non-kinetic considerations, such as civilian protection. The study addresses the four pillars of the strategy: Forestall, Secure, Identify, and Implement and their respective dimensions for addressing issues relating to radicalisation, civilian protection, early warning, and institution coordination. The analysis is guided by Human Security Theory and Policy Implementation Theory and adopts a single-case embedded qualitative design. Borno State was selected because its setting of insurgency, military action, displacement, and reintegration provides a suitable context for understanding the implementation of policy decisions. Primary data were collected through twenty semi-structured interviews with military personnel, civil society representatives, community members, and academic experts. Thematic and discourse analyses were adopted to analyse these accounts using secondary sources. The findings reveal that NACTEST remains military oriented and, at times, states’ security focus is more on military than on human security. The Forestall pillar is still hindered by socio-economic exclusion and resistance to the return of the former combatants. The Secure pillar has helped reclaim territory from insurgent groups but has also been associated with reductions in civil rights and disruptions to livelihoods. Competition amongst institutions further inhibits the sharing of intelligence and cooperation and reduces the impact of the Identify and Implement pillars. Patterns show that military success is not enough for long-term stabilisation in an environment of institutional weaknesses and unresolved community grievances. There is a need for a more balanced approach, with focus on civilian welfare, human rights and effective security operations. The study calls for the enhancement of socio-economic measures, accountability of institutions, protection of victims, and reliable information sharing. This can help ease the de-radicalisation of environments and help foster social cohesion in these communities. The study also advances the literature on security studies by studying and assessing counterterrorism policy through civilian safety and public trust as measures of policy success.