Search Climate Insights Directory

This report provides a conclusion and a set of policy recommendations for Niger's development, outlining a path to transition from extreme poverty and political instability toward inclusive growth by leveraging its youthful population and natural resources.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies examines the 'perfect storm' of climate change, violent extremism, and forced displacement in the Lake Chad Basin (LCB). It argues that climate change acts as a 'threat multiplier,' exacerbating existing vulnerabilities and providing fertile ground for insurgent groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP to recruit and extort populations. The document highlights a shift from the narrative of a shrinking lake to one of extreme weather variability, specifically catastrophic flooding, and provides institutional recommendations for the Lake Chad Basin Commission and national governments to enhance regional resilience.

This policy brief advocates for treating water and sanitation as strategic assets to ensure peace, energy, and food security in Africa. It calls for the adoption of a Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus approach and Strategic Asset Management (SAM) to address a $1 trillion infrastructure gap by 2040. The brief emphasizes that water insecurity acts as a threat multiplier for conflict, particularly in the Sahel and Horn of Africa, and recommends integrating water governance into the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) to mitigate risks and promote regional stability.

This research paper examines the drivers and consequences of youth emigration from West Africa, focusing on the 'japa' phenomenon in Nigeria. It identifies high unemployment, political exclusion, and insecurity as primary drivers of the exodus of people aged 15 to 35, which results in a significant brain drain in healthcare, technology, and education sectors.

The September 2024 Peace & Security Council Report examines the institutional challenges of the African Union Commission, the implementation of the Pact for the Future, the need for a continental mine action mechanism, the slow progress of the Youth, Peace and Security agenda, and the application of International Humanitarian Law in the face of modern warfare and humanitarian crises.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies and UNIDIR examines the feasibility of using dialogue and negotiation to resolve the Boko Haram insurgency in the Lake Chad Basin. Based on qualitative research conducted in 2023 across Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, the study analyzes the differing motivations and capacities of the Jamā'at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da'wah wa'l-Jihād (JAS) and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) factions. It argues that while military efforts alone are insufficient, strategic negotiations—potentially targeting mid-level commanders rather than just top leadership—could complement kinetic operations to end the conflict.

The October 2022 Peace & Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the resurgence of unconstitutional changes of government (UCGs) in Africa, the expansion of violent extremist groups in the Lake Chad Basin, and the asymmetrical progress between the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the Free Movement Protocol. It also highlights the urgent need for educational investment in Chad to mitigate population growth and economic instability.

This report by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the complex relationship between climate change and violent conflict in Africa. It argues that while climate change acts as a 'risk multiplier' that can exacerbate existing political, social, and economic tensions, the link to violence is indirect and highly contextual. The document emphasizes the need for conflict-sensitive climate adaptation strategies, particularly in fragile contexts, and calls for the Global North to fulfill climate finance commitments to support the Global South.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies assesses the applicability of transitional justice tools in the Lake Chad Basin (LCB), specifically in Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria. It explores how these mechanisms can address human rights abuses resulting from violent extremism and the Boko Haram crisis, emphasizing the need for a balance between restorative and retributive justice tailored to national and local contexts.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies examines the intersection of climate change and human security in Africa. It argues that climate change acts as a 'threat multiplier' that interacts with existing socio-economic and political vulnerabilities to drive instability. The document advocates for a shift in climate governance from a focus on emissions and environmental risk to a development-led investment approach that builds economic resilience and social stability.

This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies evaluates Niger's disarmament, demobilisation, rehabilitation, resettlement and reintegration (DDRRR) programme for Boko Haram defectors at the Goudoumaria reception centre. While the programme has provided an exit route for at least 375 ex-associates, the study identifies significant failures in economic reinsertion, funding instability, and the protection of women, which may discourage further defections and increase the risk of recidivism.

This policy brief examines the role of youth-led organisations, specifically the Youth Network for the Lake Chad Region (YoNeLCR), in peacebuilding and stabilisation efforts within the Lake Chad Basin. It analyzes how the COVID-19 pandemic hindered these initiatives through movement restrictions and funding cuts, while also identifying opportunities for youth to engage with regional bodies like the African Union and the Lake Chad Basin Commission to enhance community resilience against the Boko Haram insurgency.

This report examines the processes and challenges of disengagement for ex-Boko Haram associates in the Lake Chad Basin, analyzing the motivations for leaving the group and the varying national approaches to rehabilitation and reintegration in Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies analyses the roles and motivations of women associated with katiba Macina in Mali and Boko Haram in Niger. It details how these violent extremist groups (VEGs) utilise women for recruitment, logistics, intelligence, and operational tasks, while examining the diverse pathways—ranging from voluntary association to kidnapping—that lead women into these groups.

This July 2020 issue of the Peace & Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies examines critical political and security challenges across Africa, focusing on the Central African Republic's electoral turning point, the diplomatic impasse between Somalia and Somaliland, insecurity in the Sahel, and the impact of COVID-19 on governance and elections across the continent.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies examines civil society perspectives on the viability of dialogue between governments in the Lake Chad Basin and violent extremist groups, specifically Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). Based on a 2019 workshop with representatives from Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria, the document explores the tension between continued militarised responses and the potential for dialogue-based conflict resolution.

The July 2019 Peace & Security Council Report examines the progress of African Union (AU) institutional reforms, the coordination between the AU and Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and specific political transitions in The Gambia and Algeria. It also analyzes the potential for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to stabilize the Horn of Africa and evaluates the 'Silencing the Guns' initiative.

This report by FSD Africa and Cenfri examines the remittance landscape in Nigeria, identifying it as the highest recipient of remittances in Africa. While formal flows are significant, the sector is characterized by high informality, regulatory volatility, and infrastructure gaps that hinder the reduction of transaction costs and the expansion of financial inclusion.

This report examines the challenges of reintegrating Boko Haram deserters in the Lake Chad Basin, advocating for a shift from purely military responses to a comprehensive 'desertion, de-incentivisation, rehabilitation and reintegration' (DDRR) framework. It emphasizes the need for regional coordination, community-sensitive approaches, and the demobilization of local vigilante groups to ensure sustainable interim stabilisation.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the political and economic instability within the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) region. It examines how a decline in global commodity prices, coupled with neo-patrimonial governance and rapid population growth, creates a volatile environment. The authors use the International Futures (IFs) system to forecast trends up to 2040, warning that without significant investments in human capital and democratic reform, the region faces increased risks of instability and violence.