The History of Nigerian Military Intervention in African Politics: From ECOMOG to Contemporary Security Partnerships

This study provides an empirical historical analysis of Nigeria's military interventions in African political crises from the ECOMOG operations in Liberia (1990) and Sierra Leone (1997) through contemporary security cooperation frameworks in the Lake Chad Basin and the Sahel, examining the evolution of Nigerian military doctrine, mandate design, and operational performance across these diverse intervention contexts. Nigeria's military interventionism represents the most consistent expression of its continental leadership aspirations and the most direct application of its military investment to diplomatic objectives. A comparative historical case study design is employed, analysing four intervention episodes using a structured-focused comparison methodology. Primary data sources include Nigerian Ministry of Defence operational reports, ECOWAS Mission operational assessments, and 35 interviews with serving and retired military officers and civilian defence analysts. Secondary literature on African military interventions published between 2020 and 2024 supplements the primary evidence. The Strategic Studies Framework and the Liberal Interventionism Theory provide the analytical lenses. Findings establish that Nigerian military effectiveness in external interventions has declined over time relative to the 1990s ECOMOG peak, owing to domestic security overstretch from the Boko Haram insurgency, organisational learning deficits, and reduced defence budget allocations. Keywords: Nigerian military, ECOMOG, African security, military intervention, peacekeeping.