Date of Conferral

2021

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Policy and Administration

Advisor

Ian Cole

Abstract

Since 2009, the Nigerian military has been fighting the insurgent and terror group Boko Haram in the Northeast region of Nigeria. In 2016, the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) formed as an offshoot of Boko Haram and aligned with the remnants of ISIS. The Nigerian army has failed to defeat the insurgent groups and has, according to the research, committed abuses and atrocities, including extrajudicial killings, against the civilian population. The norms of military effectiveness, the normative theory of military performance and, the neorealist combat balance theory formed the theoretical basis for this study. The research questions addressed whether anation’s military reflected its society and if the dysfunction in that society affected military performance. This qualitative study utilized a grounded constructivist approach in gathering data from 7 active duty and retired military senior leadership and academics. Data analysis revealed that anation’s military does mirror/reflect the society from which it emanated. The dysfunction found in society transfers to the military and is causally linked to battlefield failure and societal abuse. Specifically, this study identified the rabid dysfunction and corruption found within Nigerian society and linked societal dysfunction to army dysfunction. In addition, in a nation where tribalism dominates every aspect of life, this study found the army to be a tribe unto itself, propagating the violent narrative against civilians. Positive social change may be possible if civilian and military leadership understands the dysfunctional social dynamic and its effects on State institutions, including the military, in a post-colonial African nation.

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