Transitional justice (TJ) is becoming increasingly relevant for reconciliation, healing, and national cohesion across Africa. In Nigeria, despite a flawed and limited experience with this practice, transitional justice and its constitutive elements are gaining traction as a non-military response to the Boko Haram crisis in the Northeast. Nonetheless, there is a notable understanding gap between TJ implementers and the process’ intended beneficiaries, with the latter’s view of the process being progressively negative. This article, which is based on extensive fieldwork in Nigeria’s Northeast between October 2022 and June 2023 explores this misalignment and proposes recommendations for optimizing TJ implementation in response to the crises in the region.
