Strategic Advancements of IS-WAP in Nigeria: Security Trends in the Wider Sahel

The document analyzes the operational resurgence of IS-WAP, highlighting its use of surveillance and combat drones, its 'Burning of the camps' campaign targeting military bases, and its logistical ties with IS-SP. It argues that a deteriorating regional security architecture, exacerbated by political instability in Niger and the withdrawal of foreign troops, is facilitating the expansion of militant Islamist groups across the Sahel and towards coastal West African states.

• IS-WAP has demonstrated significant operational growth, executing at least 400 attacks across Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin in 2024, and at least 233 attacks in Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon during the first half of 2025.
• The group has evolved its military capabilities through the adoption of drone technology, moving from surveillance to direct combat, with the first combat drone attack occurring on 24 December 2024 at a military base in Wajiroko, Borno state.
• Launched in February 2025, the 'Burning of the camps' campaign has seen IS-WAP overrun at least 26 military bases, marking the most operational success in the group's history through the use of sophisticated military tactics and coordinated attacks.
• IS-WAP maintains strong ties with the IS core leadership in Iraq and Syria and facilitates supply networks—including the transfer of weapons, fighters, and machinery—with its splinter group, IS-SP, which is consolidating power in the tri-border area of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
• Regional security is deteriorating due to the withdrawal of foreign troops following Sahelian coups and the exit of Niger from the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in April 2025, which has simplified cross-border mobility for militant groups.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2025). Strategic Advancements of IS-WAP in Nigeria: Security Trends in the Wider Sahel. https://saiia.org.za/research/strategic-advancements-of-is-wap-in-nigeria-security-trends-in-the-wider-sahel/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Strategic Advancements of IS-WAP in Nigeria: Security Trends in the Wider Sahel. 2025. https://saiia.org.za/research/strategic-advancements-of-is-wap-in-nigeria-security-trends-in-the-wider-sahel/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Strategic Advancements of IS-WAP in Nigeria: Security Trends in the Wider Sahel |date=8 September 2025 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/strategic-advancements-of-is-wap-in-nigeria-security-trends-in-the-wider-sahel/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2025strategic, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Strategic Advancements of IS-WAP in Nigeria: Security Trends in the Wider Sahel}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2025}, month = sep, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/strategic-advancements-of-is-wap-in-nigeria-security-trends-in-the-wider-sahel/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }