Combatting Boko Haram:

This paper examines the current strategy of the Nigerian government in their efforts to combat the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram with military power and proposes a counterstrategy centered on community engagement. Since the uprising of the Boko Haram in 2009, the Nigerian government has undertaken a direct action campaign against Boko Haram that will not have a long-term stabilizing effect on Nigeria. This field study contends that although a state-centric approach is required to combat against non-state threats, the ongoing situation in Nigeria does not require a direct action campaign but rather a culturally competent approach focusing on community engagement used in parallel with counterinsurgency operations to mitigate the security threat posed to Nigeria by Boko Haram.