The European Union’s Approach to Preventing Violent Extremism in North-East Nigeria: An Analytical Assessment

This study analytically assesses the European Union's preventing violent extremism (PVE) approach as applied in North-East Nigeria, examining the theoretical assumptions, programme designs, and available evidence of effectiveness for EU-funded PVE interventions in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa States. EU PVE programming in North-East Nigeria has combined counter-narrative interventions, community resilience building, deradicalisation support, and psychosocial rehabilitation for former combatants. This analytical study draws on EU programme documentation, academic literature on PVE evaluation in conflict-affected African contexts published between 2019 and 2024, and primary interviews with EU programme implementors, Nigerian military and civilian transition facility staff, and community leaders in Maiduguri and Yola. The study examines whether the EU's PVE programme theories of change reflect current evidence on the drivers of violent extremism in the Lake Chad Basin context, and whether EU-funded activities demonstrate alignment with locally grounded understandings of radicalisation dynamics. The research critically examines methodological limitations in measuring PVE effectiveness in active conflict environments, contributing to a broader academic debate on PVE programme evaluation standards. Findings fill a literature gap by generating evidence-based analysis of EU PVE programming in one of Africa's most challenging security environments. Keywords: EU preventing violent extremism, North-East Nigeria, Boko Haram, PVE evaluation, radicalisation.