Nigeria’s conflict and insecurity makes us rethink authority in ‘ungoverned’ spaces

Nigeria and other countries around the Lake Chad basin have experienced increasing violent attacks in recent years by non-state actors, in spaces often referred to as ‘ungoverned’ due to the weak presence of formal institutions. These characterisations misunderstand how governance in such areas really works, says Uche Igwe, and effective policy interventions to tackle violence must dig deeper to understand local networks and power structures.