Managing Violent Religious Extremism in Fragile States: Building Institutional Capacity in Nigeria and Kenya

This book examines how African states can build the institutional capacity to better prevent, manage and cope with the new security challenges posed by violent religious extremism.

Despite the evidence that violent religious extremism is exacerbated by underlying social, political, economic and governance factors, many states have focused their efforts only on reactive and coercive response strategies, overlooking more long-term measures. This comparative study of Nigeria and Kenya reflects on why insurgency in Kenya has not escalated to full blown terrorism as it has with Boko Haram in Nigeria, in spite of the similarities in relatively weak institutions of governance and colonial legacies across the two countries. The book interrogates the policy and institutional responses that have been put in place in both countries to address security challenges, and the extent of their efficacy in light of the intricate networks of politics, governance, corruption, poverty and violence and the relative fragility of state institutions. The authors highlight the areas of convergence and divergence in institutional capacities and recommend policies to enhance the capacity of institutions to manage violent religious extremism.

This book will be of interest to scholars of African Politics, Security, Peace Studies and Terrorism.

Abosede Omowumi Babatunde is a Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ilorin, Nigeria. She earned a Master's and PhD degree in Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. She is a former member of the Governing Council of the International Peace Research Association (IPRA). She is also a Chartered Mediator and member of the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators of Nigeria.

Mahfouz A. Adedimeji is a Professor of Pragmatics and Applied English Linguistics at the University of Ilorin, where he had served as Director of the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies. A former member of the Governing Council of the International Peace Research Association (IPRA), he currently serves as pioneer Vice Chancellor of Ahman Pategi University, Patigi, Kwara State, Nigeria.

Shittu Raji is a Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies (CPSS), University of Ilorin, Nigeria. Apart from being the Chairman, Society for Peace Studies and Practice (SPSP) Kwara State chapter, he is a Chartered Mediator and member of the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators of Nigeria.

Jacinta Mwende Maweu is a Senior Lecturer in Philosophy and Media Studies at the University of Nairobi, Kenya, where she researches and teaches in the areas of Social and Political Philosophy, Media and Conflict, Media and Democracy and Media and Human Rights. She is a former member of the Governing Council of the International Peace and Research Association (IPRA) and currently a Co-convener of the Media, Conflicts and Peace Commission in IPRA.

John Mwangi Githigaro is Lecturer in Peace and Conflict Studies at St. Paul’s University, Limuru, Kenya. He holds a PhD in International Relations from the United States International University (USIU-A), Nairobi, Kenya. He holds an MA in International Relations and a BA in Communication.