"Ubuntu Rooted in Humanity"

For generations, Africa’s heartbeat has been one of resilience — the ability to endure hardship and still believe in tomorrow. But in many regions, particularly Northern Nigeria and the wider Sahel, that heartbeat is weakening under the weight of poverty, illiteracy, and corruption. These three forces — economic deprivation, intellectual darkness, and moral decay — have converged to create fertile ground for violent extremism.

Terrorist groups like Boko Haram, ISGS, and Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) did not emerge from a vacuum. They were born out of social collapse — in communities where governments abandoned their people, schools decayed, jobs disappeared, and hope faded.

Religion became the language of rebellion, but the roots of violence are deeply social, not purely spiritual.

To understand how extremism thrives, we must look honestly at the long shadow cast by decades of poverty, illiteracy, and corruption — the unholy trinity that weakened Africa’s immune system against extremist infection.

1. Poverty: The Seedbed of Desperation and Recruitment

Poverty in West Africa is not merely a lack of income; it is a denial of dignity. Across the Sahel — from Northern Nigeria to Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso — millions survive on less than $2 a day. Families struggle to feed their children, access clean water, or afford healthcare. Young people, who make up over 60% of the population, face the crushing reality of joblessness and exclusion.

In such conditions, extremist recruiters find willing ears. A hungry man is easily convinced that his suffering is divine punishment — or that it can only be avenged through holy war. Militant groups offer more than ideology; they offer income, belonging, and power. Boko Haram, for instance, pays its fighters or promises them land, wives, and spiritual reward. For many destitute youths, this is the first time someone offers them a purpose, however twisted.

Poverty transforms grievances into rage. When the state cannot provide food, protection, or justice, extremist groups step in as alternative governments. They distribute food, enforce a brutal version of “law,” and promise fairness against corrupt officials. What begins as survival becomes loyalty.

Thus, violent extremism in the Sahel is not only a theological crisis — it is an economic rebellion dressed in religious robes.

2. Illiteracy: The Darkness That Blinds Minds

Education is the lamp that keeps ignorance — and by extension extremism — at bay. Yet, across much of West Africa, illiteracy remains widespread, particularly in rural areas. In Northern Nigeria, for instance, the literacy rate among women is below 40%, and millions of children remain out of school. In Niger, the figure is even lower, making it one of the least educated countries in the world.

When minds remain uneducated, they are easily manipulated. Extremist preachers exploit this vacuum, twisting scriptures and spreading hate under the guise of faith. Without the ability to read or critically think, young people cannot question what they are told.

Mohammed Yusuf, the founder of Boko Haram, once declared that “Western education is forbidden” — a slogan that resonated among those who had never experienced the benefits of learning. His message exploited frustration with a corrupt educational system that produced graduates without jobs and leaders without integrity.

Ironically, it was illiteracy and educational failure that made such a message believable. When knowledge is absent, ideology becomes the only teacher.

Beyond religion, illiteracy also weakens civic awareness. People who cannot read government policies, understand rights, or engage in informed debate are easily controlled by elites who use religion and ethnicity as weapons of division. Thus, illiteracy not only breeds extremism; it sustains political manipulation and the cycles of violence that follow.

3. Corruption: The Rot That Destroys Trust

Perhaps the most destructive force in the rise of violent extremism is corruption. It is corruption that ensures schools never function, hospitals lack drugs, roads crumble, and soldiers fight without pay. It is corruption that turns national budgets into personal empires for politicians and generals while citizens are left to beg for survival.

In Nigeria, billions of dollars allocated for defense have vanished through fraudulent contracts and “ghost” soldiers. In Mali, security funds are diverted to private accounts while villagers remain unprotected from jihadist attacks. Such betrayal breeds anger, cynicism, and a sense that the state exists only for the powerful.

When governments lose legitimacy, extremists step in as substitute moral authorities. They claim to represent divine justice against corrupt earthly rulers. In their propaganda, they present themselves as liberators of the oppressed — a narrative that resonates strongly among those who have suffered state neglect.

Corruption also undermines counterterrorism efforts. Soldiers sell weapons to militants, police officers accept bribes at checkpoints, and politicians secretly negotiate with insurgents for political gain. Every act of corruption feeds the extremist narrative that the system is irredeemably rotten.

Thus, corruption is not just a governance issue — it is a direct enabler of violence. It transforms poverty into hopelessness and illiteracy into blind allegiance.

4. The Vicious Cycle: Poverty, Ignorance, and Moral Decay

These three factors — poverty, illiteracy, and corruption — do not act independently; they feed one another in a self-reinforcing cycle.

• Poverty forces children out of school, perpetuating illiteracy.

• Illiteracy prevents citizens from holding leaders accountable, enabling corruption.

• Corruption deepens poverty by stealing resources meant for development.

Together, they create what some scholars call “the ecosystem of extremism.” Within this ecosystem, the state becomes an oppressor, not a protector. Citizens turn inward to tribal, religious, or militant identities for survival.

The tragedy is that this cycle is generational. Children born into poverty and ignorance today may become tomorrow’s fighters — not because they hate peace, but because they have never experienced it. Without intervention, extremism becomes hereditary.

5. Social Breakdown and the Erosion of Ubuntu

Africa’s spiritual heritage is rooted in Ubuntu — the belief that our humanity is intertwined: “I am because we are.” But poverty and corruption erode this communal bond. When people are forced to compete for survival, solidarity breaks down. The community spirit that once kept societies peaceful dissolves into mistrust.

Extremist ideologies exploit this vacuum. They promise brotherhood where society offers alienation. They create a sense of belonging — even if it comes through violence.

In regions like Borno (Nigeria) or Mopti (Mali), entire generations have grown up knowing only conflict. For them, the gun replaces the plough, and the militant camp becomes the only “school” that offers food, meaning, and protection. This is the death of Ubuntu, replaced by the law of fear.

6. The Failure of Leadership and the Politics of Neglect

No discussion of extremism is complete without addressing leadership failure. For decades, African leaders — both civilian and military — have ignored the warning signs. They have treated the north and rural Sahel as political backyards, useful only during elections. Investments flow to cities, while villages remain in darkness.

When leaders steal from the poor, neglect education, and silence reformers, they create the very monsters they later claim to fight. Extremism is the mirror reflecting the failures of governance. The bullets that kill innocents today were forged by decades of neglect yesterday.

Real leadership must confront not only the gunmen but also the conditions that make the gun attractive.

7. The Path to Healing: Restoring Hope through Justice and Education

To defeat extremism, Africa must heal the wounds that birthed it. Military operations can suppress insurgents temporarily, but only social justice and opportunity can eliminate the ideology behind them.

a. Invest in People, Not Just Weapons
Development must reach the forgotten corners — roads, schools, hospitals, and clean water. Economic empowerment through agriculture, small industries, and youth training will give people a stake in peace.

b. Revive Education with Purpose
Education must go beyond literacy; it must teach critical thinking, civic responsibility, and moral values. Modern and Islamic education can coexist, helping students see faith as a bridge, not a barrier, to progress.

c. Fight Corruption Relentlessly
Transparency, accountability, and citizen participation are non-negotiable. Public funds must serve the people, not the powerful. When citizens trust their leaders, extremists lose their moral ground.

d. Rebuild the Spirit of Ubuntu
Communities must rediscover shared humanity — interfaith cooperation, local dialogue, and social inclusion. Ubuntu must once again guide leadership and daily life: no one is safe until everyone is safe.

8. Poverty Is the Real Bomb

Extremism in West Africa is not simply a war of religion; it is a war of survival. The true explosives are not hidden in suicide vests — they are in empty stomachs, broken schools, and stolen dreams. Poverty is the real bomb; ignorance is its fuse; corruption is the hand that lights it.

Until Africa dismantles this explosive combination, new extremists will rise as fast as old ones fall. But if nations return to the principles of Ubuntu — justice, dignity, and community — then the tide can turn. The youth who once carried guns will carry tools; the sermons of hate will give way to the songs of hope.

The battle against extremism begins not on the battlefield, but in the classroom, the marketplace, and the conscience of leadership. Only when Africa chooses integrity over greed, knowledge over ignorance, and unity over fear will the shadow of extremism finally fade into the light of renewal.