My research examines civilian self-protection, the dynamics of intrastate political violence, and post-conflict recovery, with a particular focus on Nigeria. Methodologically, I rely on qualitative approaches, including extensive fieldwork, process tracing, focus group discussions, and semi-structured interviews, complemented by secondary source analysis. My fluency in local languages, familiarity with local customs, and lived experience in conflict-affected areas enable me to interpret cultural contexts with nuance and reduce the risk of misrepresenting participants’ narratives.
PhD Research
My dissertation investigates variation in civilian self-protection strategies during conflict, their uneven protective potential, and the unintended negative consequences they generate in the context of the Boko Haram insurgency and banditry in Nigeria. Funded by the European Research Council’s ResilienceBuilding project, it consists of four article-based chapters and an introduction that synthesises the overall argument.
Peer-Reviewed Article
Civilian Protection Payment and the Escalation of Violence against Civilians in Northwestern Nigeria (Global Studies Quarterly, 2023). Winner of the 2024 Cedric Smith Prize.
Works Under Review
Civilian Militia Formation and Protection Against Insurgent Violence: Evidence from Nigeria (with Jana Krause).
Collective Action Capacity and Civilian Compliance in Civil War: Evidence from Nigeria.
Civilian Compliance and Variations in Rebel Control: The Case of Nigeria.
‘Handling Wolves as Sheep’: The Failure of Negotiated Settlements with Bandits in Northwestern Nigeria.
Advancing Communal Violence Research: Definition and Operationalization (with Jana Krause, Marika Miner, and Melanie Sauter.
Civilian Self-Protection in Theory and Practice (with Betcy Jose, Peace Medie, and others).
Urban Youth Transitions Through Education in Fragile Settings: Perspectives from Maiduguri, Nigeria (with Elizabeth Dessie and Katja Starc Card).
Book Review Essays
A Closer Look at Civilian Protection: A Comparative Review of Two Paradigmatic Works (International Peacekeeping, 2024).
Out of Sight: Northeast Nigeria’s Humanitarian Crisis (African Studies Review, 2024).
Using Force to Protect Civilians: Successes and Failures of United Nations Peace Operations in Africa (International Affairs, 2024).
Violent Resistance: Militia Formation and Civil War in Mozambique (International Affairs, 2023).
Civilian Agency in Civil War? Militia Formation and Diffusion in Mozambique (International Studies Review, 2023).
Decolonising Intervention: International Statebuilding in Mozambique (Progress in Development Studies, 2023).
Unmasking Boko Haram: Exploring Global Jihad in Nigeria (South African Journal of International Affairs, 2021).
Aid, Intervention, and Neocolonial ‘Development’ in Africa (Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding, 2018).
Reports and Monographs
Maiduguri: City Report (African Cities Research Consortium Working Paper 2024-14).
Youth and Capability Development: Domain Report (African Cities Research Consortium Working Paper 2024-1).
Implementing UNSCR 2250: Youth and Religious Actors Engaging for Peace (USIP, 2017).
Public Scholarship / Op-eds
2024. The drug menace in the heartland of the Boko Haram insurgency. African Arguments.
2023. Bandits in Nigeria: How protection payments to militias escalate conflict in the north-west. The Conversation.
2023. Security in Nigeria: Bola Tinubu will increase tension in some parts of the country and reduce it in others. The Conversation.
2023. How Nigeria avoided organised violence during the 2023 elections. African Arguments.
2023. Lost Childhoods: The devastating impact of the Boko Haram war on Nigerian children. Shuddhashar Freevoice.
2021. Nigeria, it’s time to strengthen security engagements at the local level. Neptune Prime.
Selected Works in Progress
Community Capacity and Post-Conflict Resilience Building: Findings from Borno State, Nigeria (with Jana Krause).
Conflict and Careers: Youth Work Imaginaries amid Insurgency in Nigeria.