The Economics of Terror War In Borno State........ by Oasis

THE ECONOMICS OF BOKO HARAM

recently had a phone conversation with a friend in Maiduguri. I was curious to know what has become of Maiduguri since I left the city for good.
My friend was ecstatic,

”Emeka you wouldn’t recognize Maiduguri again, there are now plenty of luxury spots and structures springing up everywhere"

Stunned, I wondered how a war torn state would be witnessing such turn around growth . The war has now become an economic growth pillar- the insurgency has galvanized the growth of the Borno state economy.

NGO’S from all over the world have converged on the state ,unleashing billions into the state economy. Civil servants now abandon their jobs to take up one job or the other with the NGO’S. A contract staff with any of the NGO’S is being paid 50-70k monthly, while a full staff with no managerial role takes home between 150k-200k.

Those with managerial role take from 350k and above monthly. It depends on the NGO, though.
The insurgency has created more jobs in the North East than the government can ever think of creating. Nobody in the North East wants the war to end. It’s raining money in their cities, the value of their properties is astronomically rising. Purchasing power is increasing and investment rapidly pouring in. Business is good. They pray silently for the insurgency to never end.

When the federal government introduced a new dimension to the war economy by paying ransom to Boko Haram, another lucrative sector opened up. It became another avenue for the government, negotiators and Boko Haram to make fast money. Another sector that will not end soon. There’s money for everyone.

The other day, it was some University of Maiduguri staff. Today it is innocent girls at Dapchi. It is just business. Plain business. The Dapchi kidnap shows that the government isn’t ready to end the insurgency.

For the kidnap to still occur with all the money claimed to have been spent in the North East on security shows the government is unserious and grossly incompetent in this regard.