State Legitimacy and the Boko Haram Insurgency in Nigeria

The legitimacy of the Nigerian state has been challenged at different times since the attainment of political independence by actors either clamoring for self-determination or propagating exclusive religious agenda. Curiously, the state, rather than engaging these groups (including Boko Haram) in dialogue, has usually chosen to confront them. This paper interrogates how the Boko Haram insurgency constitutes a major challenge to the legitimacy of the Nigerian state and how the state has responded, given its experiences in handling violent challenges to its legitimacy.