Multinational Joint Task Force Strategies and the Dynamics of Boko Haram Insurgency: Implications for Nigeria–Niger Relations, 2015–2023

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This study examines the strategies of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), the evolving dynamics of the Boko Haram insurgency, and the implications of these developments for relations between Nigeria and Niger between 2015 and 2023. The study is motivated by the transnational nature of the insurgency, which has continued to undermine security, stability, and socio-economic development within the Lake Chad Basin region. The research adopts a qualitative case study design, relying on both primary data obtained through key informant interviews with security experts, military personnel, diplomats, and humanitarian actors, and secondary data sourced from journals, policy reports, books, and official documents. The Regional Security Complex Theory provides the analytical framework for explaining the interdependent security dynamics among neighbouring states. Findings reveal that MNJTF strategies, including joint military operations, intelligence sharing, sectoral deployment, and border security management, significantly weakened Boko Haram’s territorial control and forced the group to adopt asymmetric warfare tactics. However, the insurgency demonstrated resilience through fragmentation, decentralisation, and cross-border operations. The study further finds that Nigeria–Niger security cooperation was strengthened through institutionalised collaboration under the MNJTF, enhanced intelligence exchange, and coordinated border surveillance. Despite these gains, persistent challenges such as inadequate funding, logistical constraints, and coordination gaps limited overall effectiveness. The insurgency also generated significant humanitarian consequences, including mass displacement and pressure on border communities, particularly in Niger’s Diffa region. The study concludes that while regional military cooperation has contributed to containing Boko Haram, it has not fully eliminated the threat due to its adaptive nature. It recommends strengthened regional coordination, improved intelligence systems, enhanced border governance, and comprehensive socio-economic interventions to address the root causes of insecurity and ensure sustainable peace in the region.

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