Thermodynamics: Application of its Principles to the Effects of Cross-Border Migration and Boko Haram Crisis on Security Challenges in Africa

Abstract

Using the principles of thermodynamics for analogical purposes, this article seeks to answer the following question: What can the principles of thermodynamics reveal about the effects of cross-border migration and Boko Haram crisis on security challenges in Africa? The increase in the intensity of terrorist attacks by Boko Haram and the responses of government security forces to curb the situation in Nigeria has resulted in internal displacement of people and the movement of affected people in Northern Nigeria to neighboring African countries such as Niger, Cameroon, and Chad. Consequently, this article uses the principles of thermodynamics in the physical sciences to explain the likely security-related consequences of cross-border migration as a result of Boko Haram activities in Northern Nigeria. Some thermodynamics concepts used in this article include heat transfer, thermal equilibrium, exothermic reaction, and entropy. The major argument of the article is that the persistence of cross-border migration as a result of Boko Haram activities portends dangerous security challenges for African countries especially Nigeria's border countries in the future. It is, therefore, pertinent that effective strategies be identified locally and internationally to curb the activities of the Boko Haram group.