In this episode, host Marta Furlan talks with Fola Aina about the current security situation in Nigeria and the threat posed by Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province. The episode starts with Dr. Aina giving a comprehensive and detailed overview of the current status of the Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgency in Nigeria. He then moves on to talk about the recent targeting of farmers’ communities and the strategic reasons behind those. He also gives important information about the funding strategy of the Islamist insurgency, reflecting on how the two groups finance their activities. To conclude the conversation, Dr. Aina reflects on the most important initiatives that have been taken to counter Boko Haram and ISWAP and gives his thoughts on how those measures should be strengthened and made more effective.
Dr. Fola Aina is a lecturer in the Political Economy of Violence, Conflict and Development at the Department of Development Studies, at SOAS, University of London. He completed a second master’s degree in African studies, at the University of Oxford, having earlier obtained a Masters’ degree in International Development Policy from Seoul National University, South Korea. He holds a doctorate degree in Leadership Studies from King’s College London. His research interests include peace, security and development; violence, conflict, leadership in national security policy decision making, terrorism, insurgency, and extremism, with a regional focus on West Africa’s Sahel and Lake Chad Basin regions. He is a prolific writer and recipient of multiple awards and his works have been published in several peer-reviewed journals.
