Impact of social capital on preparedness and response to Boko Haram insurgency in Northeast Nigeria

Abstract

Boko Haram insurgency has precipitated humanitarian tragedy on a scale comparable to the Nigerian civil war (1967-1970) and arguably the worst of any man made or natural disaster in Nigeria's history. The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre estimates that up to 3.3million people have been internally displaced due to terrorist violence perpetrated by the Boko Haram. The number of IDPs displaced by the conflict is the largest in Africa and the third largest in the world. Using qualitative and quantitative data derived from interviews conducted with respondents in Maiduguri, Nigeria, the paper examines the extent to which the affected populations are drawing on bonding and bridging social capital to resist, withstand, cope with and recover from the adverse experiences and consequences of the insurgency and counter-insurgency. This study intends to make significant contribution to a growing body of literature on man-made humanitarian crises. The findings will help in the design and implementation of more effective interventions that build on existing resources and coping strategies of communities affected by violence and other man made disasters.