The U.S. government needs civilian tools to advance its short-term interests in difficult environments, but continuing to retrofit or cannibalize long-term USAID programs may do more harm than good.
Three months ago, a team of specialists from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) completed an assessment of conflict dynamics in Nigeria. It reported that the extremist group Boko Haram posed a “significant threat” to the country’s stability, but argued the group was symptomatic of the deeper challenges bedeviling Nigeria. It recommended that USAID continue to concentrate its programs on the “structural problems that have led to Boko Haram's rise.” Nonetheless, with President Obama having vowed American action on this high-profile issue, USAID soon introduced three new programs designed around the group.