Hybrid Governance, Armed Non-State Actors, and the Erosion of Nigerian Sovereignty in the North West

This dissertation examines the phenomenon of hybrid governance in the North West geopolitical zone of Nigeria, where the proliferation of armed non-state actors including bandits, vigilante organisations, and militia groups has produced complex governance arrangements that challenge state sovereignty and create new informal authorities in security, taxation, and dispute resolution. The North West states of Zamfara, Katsina, and Kebbi have experienced dramatic increases in armed group activity and governance vacuum conditions since approximately 2017, creating conditions that have both internal security implications and significant foreign policy consequences given the cross-border dimensions of banditry networks connected to Malian and Nigerien groups. Drawing on hybrid governance theory, international relations of state failure, and critical sovereignty studies, this study develops an original analytical account of how armed non-state actors in the North West produce and contest governance authority, and examines the implications of this governance erosion for Nigeria's diplomatic credibility and its capacity to fulfil international obligations. Primary data are drawn from twelve months of fieldwork in Zamfara and Katsina states including interviews with community leaders, local government officials, security sector personnel, and internally displaced persons, supplemented by analysis of security incident data and satellite imagery. The dissertation's theoretical contribution advances hybrid governance theory by demonstrating how informal armed governance economies interact with formal state institutions to produce dynamic authority configurations rather than static governance voids. Keywords: hybrid governance, banditry, North West Nigeria, sovereignty, armed non-state actors.