Youth Deradicalisation and Reintegration in Borno State: An Evaluation of the Safe Corridor Programme

This study evaluates the design and outcomes of Nigeria's Operation Safe Corridor deradicalisation and reintegration programme for former Boko Haram-associated persons in Borno State, North East Nigeria. The programme, a joint effort of the military, intelligence agencies, and international partners, represents Nigeria's primary institutional response to the challenge of rehabilitating ex-combatants and associated individuals for community reintegration. Employing a programme evaluation research design, the study collected data from 60 programme graduates, 40 community members receiving returnees, 25 programme facilitators, and 15 government officials using in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Review of Safe Corridor programme documentation and independent monitoring reports from 2020 to 2024 supplemented primary data. The theoretical framework draws from deradicalisation theory and social reintegration models. Findings reveal that the programme's psychological deradicalisation module and vocational training components receive positive assessments from graduates, but community acceptance rates remain low due to inadequate community sensitisation and the absence of victim-inclusive reconciliation mechanisms. Recidivism tracking is found to be systematically underdeveloped, limiting evidence-based programme improvement. Recommendations include establishing a community acceptance component as a mandatory, funded element of the Safe Corridor programme, developing robust recidivism monitoring systems, incorporating victim voices into the programme's reconciliation framework, and increasing programme transparency to build public confidence. Keywords: deradicalisation, reintegration, Safe Corridor, Borno State, Boko Haram.