Countering Insurgency and Terrorism in Africa: A Comparative Analysis of Ghana and Nigeria

The welter of radicalization and extremism across the globe in the new millennium is startling. Terrorist-related assaults and deaths continue to shake Africa. Boko Haram, al-Shabaab, Fulani Militant, al-Qaeda, and other radical groups are still active on the continent. This chapter examines the human security nexus in both Ghana and Nigeria with a focus on terrorism and radicalization and measures adopted by both countries to quell extremism. It takes a comparative approach to finding out how each nation has approached her counterterrorism efforts. What accounts for the successes or failures of one country vis-à-vis the other? Relying on both empirical and theoretical debates, this study provides insight into the dynamics of terrorism and counterterrorism measures prevalent in these nations and establishes Ghana’s relative success over Nigeria. The findings suggest that both Ghana and Nigeria have experienced colonial-induced terrorism or extremist violence; while religious ideology has influenced the rise of extremism in Nigeria, Ghana’s case is different; Ghana’s relative political stability fosters effective counterterrorism efforts; the formation of a nondenominational national peace council has had an effective positive impact on de-radicalization processes in Ghana.