Di global war against terrorism don enter new phase, and Africa don become di central battlefield, following recent happenings for di fight against terror for Nigeria.
Security developments show say United States dey increasingly redirect dia counter-terrorism operations from Middle East to Africa, with Nigeria emerging as critical strategic ally for di expanding offensive against ISIS and Al-Qaeda affiliates wey dey operate across di Sahel and di Lake Chad Basin.
ISIS leadership structures dey believed to don migrate into di Lake Chad region, while Al-Qaeda-linked groups don entrench demsef across di Sahel, turning parts of West and Central Africa into one of di world most volatile terror corridors.
Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Nigeria don bear di brunt of di insurgents migration, but worsening political instability for di region, evidenced by military takeovers for Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger Republic, don deeply fracture regional cooperation and weaken coordinated responses to terrorism.
Now, observers believe say Washington appear determined to prevent di region from slipping further into extremist control, because America allow groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda to build bases for external operations targeting US.
Security sources say di region dey witness unprecedented escalation of American military engagement, including sustained air operations targeting ISIS strongholds around Lake Chad.
Di renewed offensive mirror earlier American tactics wey dem use for Middle East; for instance, for 2019, di United States deploy B-52 bomber to obliterate an ISIS logistics and training base wey hide for an island for Iraq Tigris River, dropping over 36,000 kilograms of bombs and wiping di enclave off di map.
Nigeria military operations, wey strike terrorist enclaves for Sokoto during di 2025 Christmas period and later for Metele, Borno State, where airstrikes allegedly eliminate ISIS global deputy leader, Al-Minuk, don mark a major turning point for Abuja security partnership with Washington.
Nigeria, once viewed for Washington with deep suspicion over allegations of human rights abuses and governance concerns, don gradually rebuild diplomatic trust through intelligence sharing, strategic military cooperation and counter-terrorism coordination.
Military sources say troops record fresh gains against Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters for di North-East and di Lake Chad Islands, with several insurgent commanders neutralised for recent offensives.
Notwithstanding di military victories, Nigeria internal security crisis don continue to deepen; schools, markets, worship centres and highways dey increasingly under siege, while communal clashes, separatist agitation, banditry, herder-farmer conflicts and economic sabotage continue to destabilise several regions.
According to Austen Pabor, a Corporate Security & Risk Management Professional and Regional Security Adviser, terrorism and extremism don go side-by-side with di same outcomes over di years, resulting for armed conflicts and extensive wreckage across di globe, with di United States playing di role wey e play to restore stability for these affected countries.
Dis shift for global counter-terrorism attention toward Africa reflect how threats fit evolve and where di threat dey evolve; for Nigeria, dis present an opportunity to strengthen intelligence sharing, regional security cooperation, and counter-terrorism capabilities, provided di country view am through dis lens and take advantage of di potential relationships.
However, military action alone no go secure lasting stability for Nigeria; di real solution dey lie for combining targeted security operations with stronger border management, effective governance, disruption of terrorist financing, and di restoration of state authority for underserved communities, as e suggest, adding say terrorist groups thrive where governance dey weak.
Pabor state say sustainable security must focus on both defeating di threat and eliminating di conditions wey allow am to regenerate.
Also, security expert Matthew Ibadin agree with di assessment say most of di insecurity challenges dey come from di Sahel region; dis, e attribute to porous borders.
According to am, di Nigerian border for di Sahel dey porous, making am easy for di terrorists to migrate into di country; e argue say even if all di country military might dey deployed to di Sahel, dem no go fit contain di terrorists wey dey pour into di country as a result of porous borders.
E say e be time for di Nigerian government to fortify our borders and dismantle di current security architecture for di country, because we dey operate under a single-digit security architecture, where di police dey on di exclusive list; di federal government own di police, so we get centralised police force, meaning say di federal government own di army, navy, air force and di police.
E explain say e go hard to fix di security challenges without devolving power; according to am, dat be di only way out of di quagmire.
Ibadin say we suppose allow state police by taking policing from di exclusive list to di concurrent list; let state governments be able to formulate and undertake policing tasks for dia states, so we fit hold state governors accountable when issues arise for dia states.
Arguing say di police fit combat insecurity, Ibadin stress say di police, if properly empowered, trained, and equipped, fit do di job of fighting pervasive insecurity effectively.
Meanwhile, di Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) don reportedly announce di closure of dia hijrah migration routes for foreign fighters, acknowledging say traditional entry corridors into Nigeria don become too dangerous due to sustained military operations by United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) and Nigerian forces.
According to an intelligence report from security analysts covering di Lake Chad region, di terrorist group reportedly acknowledge say di routes, wey historically serve as vital channels for di movement of fighters, weapons, supplies, and external support into insurgent-controlled territories, dey now considered inaccessible.
Security sources describe dis development as evidence of increasing pressure on di group logistics infrastructure; di restriction on those corridors, dem say, fit complicate di terrorist organisation recruitment, logistics, and operational planning.
Di closure of migration routes dey believed to be di result of di intelligence-led strikes targeting ISWAP command structures and supply chains across Borno State and di wider Lake Chad region; experts say dis campaign suppose be sustained.
Di shift of US counter-terrorism focus from Middle East to Africa position Nigeria as a key strategic partner for di fight against ISIS and Al-Qaeda affiliates for di Sahel and Lake Chad Basin; dis development, dem say, fit enhance Nigeria security through improved intelligence sharing, military cooperation, and access to advanced technology, helping to combat Boko Haram, ISWAP, and other extremist groups.
Improved security fit also boost economic development by attracting investment, restoring agricultural activities, and promoting regional stability; however, Nigeria fit also face increased terrorist threats as extremist groups adapt to growing pressure.
To maximise di benefits, Nigeria must complement military operations with investments for technology, innovation, education, job creation, and good governance to address di root causes of extremism and build long-term national stability.
A security expert, Abubakar Sadeeq, say before development, there must be peace; e blame insecurity for Nigeria and for di Sahel on di former colonial master, accusing dem of using insecurity to exploit di resources of Africa.
E say without Africa resources, places like France no fit survive, places like Europe no fit survive; so there must be crises; those be factors wey dey create dis insecurity.
E add say Libya be just a next-door neighbour where there was a crisis, and after di crisis, there was no proper resolution to cover di movement of arms; those arms were deployed into some parts of Africa, here, Nigeria, to be precise; so those be di major factors; and until we get those factors curtailed by having a serious strategy, bringing all security experts together to draft a strategy, of course, there no go be peace.
