The social construction of resilient Islamic militancy in northern Nigeria

The enduring issue over the role of religion and ethnicity in fomenting internecine conflict in contemporary Nigeria has been persistent for over a long period. Utilising the concept of constructivism, this study shows that politics is a ‘world of our making’. In this respect, the seemingly insolvability of ethnicity, identity and the national question of cohesion in Nigeria have been issues for some time due to human agency. Drawing on data collected from interviews and secondary sources, the study lays emphasis on the link between ethnicity, religion, and conflict in Northern Nigeria. Essentially, the conflation of ethnic and religious identities, especially those of Hausa- Fulani and the Muslim faith have long political and historical roots. The study established that historical processes and factors have shaped the Nigerian socio-political structures, religious life, and economic systems over time. This in turn affected the ability of elites and other norm entrepreneurs’ capacities to influence the development of violent extremism and militancy in Northern Nigeria. The findings also show that emergence of ethno-religious militancy in the Northern Nigeria since the 1970s as well as its modern manifestation, the Boko Haram movement, demonstrates yet again that as long as the basic socio-economic context does not fundamentally change for the better, elites and other agents will continue to manipulate the faulty lines in their pursuit for power and social standing. Most importantly, the study identifies the following prime drivers of resilient Islamic militancy in Northern Nigeria, that is, colonial legacies, socio-economic inequalities, cultural ties, government’s ineptitude and impunity, Koranic education, elite manipulation and international dynamics. The main implication of the study is that the struggle to accommodate ethno-religious differences remains one of Nigeria’s main enduring challenges