A fragile and complex nation

Nigeria rarely makes international headlines. It is frequently eclipsed by stories of turmoil in the Middle East, human rights abuse in North Korea, or religious persecution in places like Pakistan and Burma. Yet one of the world’s next truly horrific conflagrations has been forming in Nigeria.

Two of the world’s top five deadliest terror networks, Boko Haram and Fulani extremists, operate with great intensity within Nigeria, and are the largest among 35 other such groups and networks.

Even with these realities, the Nigerian government has been distracted by efforts to institutionalize democracy and reform a petroleum-dependent economy. Little has been done to address escalating violence along ethnic and religious fault lines. The result is a state lacking a swift and consistent response: the problem is denied, the issues are misdiagnosed, and human rights are violated through poorly executed military strategy rather than appropriate police, judicial, and justice institutions.