Roundtable Discussion on Nigeria with Assistant Secretary of State Michael H. Posner

On Monday, January 28, the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) hosted a roundtable discussion on the security situation in Nigeria featuring Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Michael H. Posner. The recent upsurge in violence associated with the militant extremist group Boko Haram has destabilized the northern landscape of Nigeria, prompting a heavy-handed response by government security forces. The roundtable discussion convened Africa regional experts and national security experts from government, academia and the private sector to assess the progress and shortcomings of the Nigerian government’s campaign in countering militant extremism. Some of the discussion points included: What should a new Nigerian Government approach in the North look like and what would the strategy need to include? What are the techniques for generating the political will for a new approach in Nigeria and which Nigerian officials must be on board with such a change? What role should the United States play in assisting the Government of Nigeria in its pursuit of a better strategy?