<![CDATA[Purpose: This study examines the relationship between cross-border counter-terrorism and refugee protection in Nigeria, with particular attention to social policy, regional cooperation and human security within the Lake Chad Basin. Research Methodology: The study adopts a qualitative documentary research design and applies thematic analysis to international and African legal instruments, official statistics, policy documents and scholarly literature published mainly between 2021 and 2026, guided by Human Security Theory and Securitisation Theory. Results: The findings show that Nigeria’s location within the Lake Chad Basin exposes it to complex movements of refugees, internally displaced persons, returnees and persons associated with transnational criminal and terrorist networks, while the country continues to host substantial refugee populations and to develop registration, status determination and social inclusion mechanisms. Conclusions: Border security and refugee protection are not inherently contradictory and can become mutually reinforcing when supported by risk-based screening, lawful asylum procedures, intelligence cooperation, interoperable identity systems and regional burden-sharing. Limitations: The analysis relies on secondary documentary and statistical sources rather than field-based data from border communities, security officers or refugee populations themselves. Contributions: The study contributes an integrated institutional framework linking counter-terrorism, refugee protection and social policy that treats displaced populations as subjects of protection rather than as inherent security threats.]]>
Copyrights © 2027
