Religious Extremism in West Africa: Lessons from Northeastern Nigeria, Togo, and Liberia

Religious extremism is a global problem. However, it is particularly virulent in certain western Sahel regions. It is caused by a variety of factors, such as the colonization including economic instability and unemployment; climate change issues including desertification (the expansion of the Sahara desert) common to the region; government corruption, and extremist religious ideologies. Interfaith Peacemaker Teams comprising Muslim and Christian leaders have made significant progress in addressing this extremism. Lessons learned from there are useful for many other regions around the world.