Education and Conflict in Northeast Nigeria

Placing community concerns at the center of her analysis, Vanita Datta shows the opportunities and challenges involved in harnessing education’s contributions to peacebuilding. With wide relevance for understanding other conflict zones, Education and Conflict in Northeast Nigeria makes a formidable contribution to the study of war and peace. -- Alexander Thurston, School of Public and International Affairs, University of Cincinnati
Education and Conflict in Northeast Nigeria is a rigorous and timely contribution that powerfully demonstrates how education becomes a site of struggle, agency and peacebuilding in politically contested environments. Grounded in rich empirical research and critical theoretical engagement, Vanita Datta offers invaluable insights for scholars, policymakers and practitioners working at the intersection of education, conflict, and social justice. -- Tejendra Pherali, University College London, UK
Since 2009, terrorist groups like Boko Haram have weaponized education, launching horrific attacks on schools and learners. Education and Conflict in Northeast Nigeria explores how learning becomes both a target of war and a site of recovery. Vanita Datta uncovers the contradictory influences of diverse actors whose competing priorities turn education into a battlefield. Essentially, Datta reveals how local communities exercise agency and navigate structural constraints to build social cohesion. It is a comprehensive, exceptional, and culturally sensitive study that reveals the forms of education useful for peace and serves as an instructive blueprint for scholars, policymakers, and aid practitioners pursuing post-conflict recovery. -- Benjamin Maiangwa, Associate Professor of Political Science, Lakehead University
Datta's access and deep understanding of how the Nigerian state and donor agencies work make this book indispensable to anyone who wants to understand how security actors and their priorities so often end up consuming all humanitarian interventions in their path. There's no better book on why education--the Boko Haram conflict's singular issue--has been so hard to rebuild in northeastern Nigeria. -- Brandon Kendhammer, Professor of Political Science, Ohio University, USA
Nigeria’s northeast suffered colonial oppression, post-colonial neglect and then two decades of ruthless violence. With theoretical rigor and compelling evidence from field research, Datta documents both the promise of education for preventing conflicts and the limits of existing counterinsurgency doctrines for resolving them. -- A. Carl LeVan Department of Politics, Governance and Economics, American University, USA
A powerful and necessary book. Datta shows that even amid protracted violence, communities in Northeast Nigeria are not passive victims but active agents shaping education, resilience, and peace. A compelling reminder that sustainable recovery begins by listening to—and trusting—local voices. -- Joseph Sany, Ph.D. Former Vice President, Africa at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP)