The Role of Young People in Preventing Violent Extremism in the Lake Chad Basin

The Lake Chad Basin countries of Cameroun, Chad, Niger and Nigeria have been marred by violence since the advent and rise of violent extremist groups like Boko Haram, Ansar Dine, and Mujao. Their continuous existence and operation means have tremendous negative effects on the young people in the region. This is because the youth in the region are brainwashed, deceived or forcefully recruited to serve as foot soldiers for these violent extremist groups. This trend if not reversed has long-lasting human, economic and social costs. The constant involvement of some young people as perpetrators of violence has led several segments of society to stereotype them as the problem. However, this research has shown that the solution to violent extremism and other threats to safety and stability of the countries in the Lake Chad region can be found in working with young people, and tapping into their talents and potentials to reform and rebuild society. The adoption of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 (UNSCR 2250) on Youth, Peace and Security in December 2015 is a major and strategic global acknowledgement of the key role of young people in peacebuilding. The primary objective of this research paper is to inform policy makers and the international community of key policy and programming considerations for supporting youth-led and youthfocused initiatives that are aimed at preventing violent extremism in the Lake Chad Basin region. This research paper highlights some of the localized drivers of violent extremism in the Lake Chad Basin countries, enumerates some of the concrete initiatives by and for young people that are aimed at preventing violent extremism in the region. It goes further to show the operating environment of these youth groups and their initiatives while also discussing their sources of technical and financial support