Terrorism, Boko Haram, and the Multinational Joint Task Force: Evaluating Regional Security Cooperation in the Lake Chad Basin

The Boko Haram insurgency and the activities of its Islamic State West Africa Province splinter group have represented the most destructive security challenge in the Lake Chad Basin region for over a decade, prompting the establishment of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) as a collaborative counterterrorism mechanism involving Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, and Benin. The effectiveness of this regional security arrangement has been a subject of sustained academic and policy analysis, given its uneven operational record and the persistent insecurity experienced by basin communities. This study evaluates the MNJTF's operational effectiveness, governance structure, and alignment with international counterterrorism norms, drawing on security studies scholarship from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Employing a qualitative methodology combining review of operational reports, MNJTF communiques, and human rights organization assessments with interviews of UNN security studies faculty and former military officers, the research is theoretically anchored in regional security cooperation theory and the counterterrorism effectiveness literature. Findings indicate that the MNJTF has achieved tactical gains in degrading Boko Haram's territorial control; however, coordination deficits, intelligence-sharing limitations, and documented human rights concerns in military operations significantly constrain the mission's strategic effectiveness. The absence of a comprehensive civilian protection and post-conflict stabilization framework limits the MNJTF's contribution to durable peace. The study recommends a reformed mandate that integrates civilian-led stabilization, transitional justice, and regional development programming. Keywords: Boko Haram, Multinational Joint Task Force, regional security cooperation, Lake Chad Basin, counterterrorism