Counterterrorism Update in Nigeria

The Nigerian Northeast has experienced high levels of violence following the Boko Haram insurgency in 2009. More recently, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has emerged as the winner following years of infighting within Boko Haram. Indeed, in 2021, Abubakar Shekau – Boko Haram’s former leader – detonated a suicide bomb after ISWAP’s fighters reached his hideout. However, counterterrorism efforts in Nigeria are unlikely to result in a decisive success in the next 12 months.