Privatised Statehood and the Paradox of Counterterrorism in Nigeria: A Political Economy Perspective

Abstract

How does the privatisation of the Nigerian State undermine its capacity to combat terrorism? This paper is developed to answer this question. Using the political economy perspective, it interrogates the paradoxical relationship between state privatisation and counterterrorism effectiveness in Nigeria. Anchored in literature that critiques the Nigerian State's failure to achieve autonomy from elite capture, the analysis identifies privatisation as manifesting through ethnicised political domination, patronage-based governance, systemic corruption, and the militarisation of electoral politics. These dynamics have commodified violence, entrenched inter-ethnic rivalries, and subordinated the public good to narrow elite interests. The resultant governance vacuum and socioeconomic marginalisation create structural conditions conducive to terrorism, while simultaneously weakening institutional mechanisms for counterterrorism. The paper argues that counterterrorism strategies in Nigeria will remain compromised as long as the State is privatised. It concludes by advocating for comprehensive state reform aimed at restoring public accountability and reorienting the State toward the pursuit of collective security.