Reactive counter-terrorism posture risks entrenching armed groups in a new corridor linking northwest to southwest Nigeria. Mass killings, abductions and roadside bombs in recent weeks point to a dangerous escalation of violent extremism in the Borgu-Kainji axis along Nigeria’s western borders with Benin and Niger. These are not isolated events. Continuing to respond narrowly and…
Washington — The World Bank Group has supported new Country Partnership Frameworks (CPF) with Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, and Niger for the 2026-2031 period. These frameworks aim to stimulate job creation, especially for youth and women, by strengthening human capital, infrastructure, and agricultural productivity, while supporting targeted reforms and private sector development. Grounded in the…
Better water retention infrastructure would enable communities to withstand the region’s many security and developmental challenges. The Lake Chad Basin faces multiple challenges, including Boko Haram terrorism, community conflicts and poverty. On top of this, it is being hit by unprecedented flooding. Stronger resilience – which refers to the ability of affected communities to recover,…
Remote and poorly resourced outposts are soft targets for attacks, and a weak point in regional counter-terrorism efforts. At least 15 confirmed Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) attacks have targeted military outposts across the Lake Chad region this year. Common to this campaign, which the group calls Camp Holocaust, is that the targets were…
ISWAP’s hunt for resources is eroding the ability of communities in northern Cameroon to withstand economic hardship. Since 2021, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has intensified its footprint in Cameroon’s Far North Region through increased extortion of communities and a spate of brutal attacks on military barracks in Logone-et-Chari and Borno (Nigeria). These twin…
