Gendered Insecurity and Mobility in West African Borderlands: Putting the Nigeria/Niger Border in Perspective

Border relations between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have received commendations from professionals, diplomats, and scholars alike. However, transborder insecurity in the region has undermined the positive appraisals. The recent spate of insecurity in Nigeria, caused by transborder bandits and the role that other ECOWAS countries, like the Niger Republic, play—as hiding places—has made mobility difficult for border commuters. Women have particularly become sitting ducks to the brazen attacks from purveyors of insecurity, and as such, they have been subjected to different forms of dehumanisation. This has led to the abandonment of transborder trade which is a vital source of livelihood for many women. In West Africa, insecurity is impeding the development of cross-border trade; it stymies progress in the African Continental Free Trade period and breaches the Free Movement Protocol. There are several scholarly articles, policies, and working papers on ECOWAS and gender; however, gendered mobility’s safety and security in the area have not been given priority and proper investigation. As a result, the focus of this paper is on the influence of insecurity on gendered mobility along the Nigeria-Niger Republic border.