Terrorism and regional trade: a study of Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region from 2012- 2020

Abstract

This study examines how terrorist actions, namely those of Boko Haram (BHT), have impacted regional commerce in the Lake Chad Region. This article looks at the terrorist actions and insurgency of the Islamic fundamentalist group Boko Haram in the states of Western and Central Africa. Boko Haram wants to topple the governments of Nigeria and Chad in order to impose a harsh version of Sharia rule over the nation, which is home to over 230 million people of all ethnic backgrounds. Boko Haram started an extremely aggressive insurgency in 2009, which has resulted in the deaths of almost 18,000 people and the destruction of property valued at millions of dollars via explosives and massacres. This has severely harmed the region's economy by affecting trade ties between neighbouring countries in the Lake Chad region and the rest of the globe. The primary focus of the paper is on the political, military, and legal responses of Nigeria and its neighbouring countries to the hazardous acts of Boko Haram, which they see as the most effective means of putting an end to the insurgency. It also discusses Boko Haram's demands and ideology in short. The paper employs a qualitative methodology to examine international relations, with a particular emphasis on the concept of political economics of terrorism. This theory looks at the relationship between economic problems including poverty, inequality, and resource availability and how it relates to terrorism. Scientists with expertise in economics, political science, and sociology collaborated to develop the concept of the political economy of terrorism. According to the report, the insecurity threat posed by Boko Haram assaults prevents foreign investments and significantly halts local business and economic operations.