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The Brides of Boko Haram: Economic Shocks, Marriage Practices, and Insurgency in Nigeria

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  • Jonah M Rexer

Abstract

Marriage markets in rural Nigeria are characterised by bride price and polygamy. These customs may diminish marriage prospects for young men, causing them to join militant groups. Using an instrumental variables strategy, I find that marriage inequality increases civil conflict in the Boko Haram insurgency. To generate exogenous shocks to the marriage market, I exploit the fact that young women delay marriage in response to favourable pre-marital economic conditions, which increases marriage inequality primarily in polygamous villages. The same shocks that increase marriage inequality and extremist violence also lead women to marry fewer and richer husbands, generate higher average marriage expenditures, and increase insurgent abductions. The results shed light on the marriage market as an important driver of violent extremism.

Suggested Citation

  • Jonah M Rexer, 2022. "The Brides of Boko Haram: Economic Shocks, Marriage Practices, and Insurgency in Nigeria," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 132(645), pages 1927-1977.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:econjl:v:132:y:2022:i:645:p:1927-1977.
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    1. Amr Ragab & Ayhab F. Saad, 2023. "The effects of a negative economic shock on male marriage in the West Bank," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 21(3), pages 789-814, September.
    2. Stefan Dimitriadis, 2024. "Bribery, insecurity, and firm performance: Evidence from the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(6), pages 1061-1086, June.
    3. Hugues Champeaux & Elsa Gautrain & Karine Marazyan, 2024. "Men’s premarital migration and marriage payments: Evidence from Indonesia," DeFiPP Working Papers 2402, University of Namur, Development Finance and Public Policies.
    4. Minali Grover & Ajay Sharma, 2025. "Women's inheritance rights reforms and impact on women's empowerment: evidence from India," Papers 2510.10437, arXiv.org.
    5. Siwan Anderson, 2022. "Unbundling female empowerment," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 55(4), pages 1671-1701, November.
    6. Maurizio Bussolo & Jonah Matthew Rexer & Lynn Hu, 2025. "From Patriarchy to Policy: Norms, Votes, and Gender Equal Laws," Policy Research Working Paper Series 11135, The World Bank.
    7. De Swardt, Christiaan & Hartwig, Renate, 2025. "The marriage squeeze: Measuring and explaining marriage market dynamics in Sub-Saharan Africa," Ruhr Economic Papers 1162, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.

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