The Weight of Words: A Securitization Analysis of Nigerian Presidential Discourse on Boko Haram and the Farmer–Herder Conflict

Sammanfattning

Drawing on securitization theory from the Copenhagen School, this paper examines how Boko Haram and the farmer-herder conflict in Nigeria have been discursively framed by Nigerian political leadership during the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo (2015–2023). This paper offers a qualitative discourse analysis of public speeches and the words chosen regarding the state of security, identifying threats, referent objects, and the need of extraordinary measures, to assess whether and how each conflict was securitized. The findings demonstrate an asymmetry in securitizing moves. Boko Haram is consistently framed as a common enemy threatening Nigeria’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, and citizens’ lives, legitimizing sustained military and international counterterrorism measures. Contrastingly, the farmer-herder conflict receives limited and inconsistent attention, lacks a clearly defined referent object, and is rarely paired with extraordinary measures, resulting in an incomplete or fragmented securitization. The paper argues that this discursive imbalance may help explain differences in political prioritization and policy responses, contributing to the persistence of the farmer-herder conflict despite its high human cost.