THE IMPACT OF INSURGENCY ON PEACEBUILDING EFFORTS AMONG DISPLACED COMMUNITIES IN BORNO STATE, NIGERIA

Bassey Kenneth Egede, Iroye Samuel, & Orebiyi Taiwo — (Page 159-180)

Abstract

Since 2009, Borno State in northeastern Nigeria has remained the epicentre of protracted violence and displacement triggered by Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgency. Despite numerous peacebuilding interventions — Disarmament, Demobilisation, and Reintegration (DDR), community reconciliation, humanitarian aid, and women’s empowerment initiatives— outcomes have been undermined by fragmented governance, persistent insecurity, and deeprooted social exclusion. This mixed-methods study investigates the effectiveness and limitations of peacebuilding and reintegration programmes among internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees, ex-combatants, women’s collectives, and community leaders in four key localities. Quantitative survey (n=320) findings reveal that while 77.5% of respondents participate in peacebuilding activities, trust in ex-combatants remains low, and reintegration acceptance is markedly shaped by gender, education, and displacement status.

Qualitative interviews and focus groups highlight that DDR and women’s peacebuilding efforts are constrained by stigma, inadequate psychosocial support, economic deprivation, and underrepresentation in formal structures. The Human Security and Lederach’s peacebuilding frameworks expose fundamental barriers—insufficient local ownership, militarised aid, governance distrust, and exclusion of women and youth.

The study recommends context-responsive, trauma-informed approaches, institutionalised gender mainstreaming, community-driven DDR, inclusive justice mechanisms, and livelihood restoration. True resilience, it argues, can only be achieved by empowering local actors, especially women, ensuring long-term psychosocial care, and aligning external resources with grassroots priorities. These insights are vital for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers seeking transformative, sustainable peacebuilding in Borno State.

Keywords: Borno State, Insurgency, Peacebuilding, Reintegration Programmes, Women’s Empowerment