Is Nigeria fighting terrorism—or merely managing its consequences?
Nigeria has spent years deploying military operations, strengthening intelligence capabilities, working with regional partners, and receiving international counterterrorism support. Yet violent extremist groups continue to adapt.
The 2026 Global Terrorism Index ranked Nigeria fourth among countries most affected by terrorism, recording 171 terrorist incidents and 750 terrorism-related deaths in 2025—a 43% increase in attacks and a 46% increase in deaths compared with 2024. The report attributed 80% of Nigeria's terrorism-related deaths to ISWAP and Boko Haram.
So why does the problem persist?
This episode examines whether Nigeria's counterterrorism challenge is fundamentally a military problem—or a broader problem of governance, intelligence, borders, economics, local security, institutional capacity and political strategy.