Understanding the Concepts of Peace, Security, and Regional Security in West Africa: An Assessment of Challenges Limiting Nigeria’s Peace and Security Efforts in Mali and the Niger Republic

Abstract

This study examines the concepts of peace, security, and regional security in West Africa, with a focus on the challenges limiting Nigeria’s peace and security efforts in Mali and the Niger Republic. The study adopts a historical research design and relies on content analysis of secondary sources, including journal articles, official reports, and policy documents. It explores the evolving understanding of peace as not only the absence of conflict but also the presence of justice, good governance, and socioeconomic stability, while security is viewed within the broader framework of human security. The study finds that West Africa continues to experience persistent instability driven by military coups, weak governance, and violent extremism, necessitating regional intervention through ECOWAS, where Nigeria plays a leading role. However, Nigeria’s effectiveness is constrained by domestic insecurity, economic limitations, institutional weaknesses within ECOWAS, geopolitical rivalries in the Sahel, and legitimacy challenges surrounding external interventions. These constraints reduce the consistency and impact of Nigeria’s peace and security initiatives in Mali and the Niger Republic. The study concludes that sustainable regional security requires stronger cooperation, improved burden-sharing, and long-term strategies addressing structural causes of instability in West Africa.