State-sponsored terrorism as a component of international conspiracy and political engineering

State-sponsored terrorism refers to supporting, financing, or sponsoring terrorist activities by a government or state entity. The United States Department of State (DoS) designates countries that contend to have repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism as state sponsors of terrorism. As of 2023, the list consists of five countries namely; Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Syria. Previously, countries on the list included Iraq, Libya, South Yemen, and Sudan (dos, 2023). State sponsorship of terrorism although not as hegemonic as in past decades. The concept remains a multifaceted phenomenon faced in the international system which the superpower countries are yet to adequately mitigate, despite its threat to national and global security. This paper adopts the desk research approach by reviewing relevant and extant literature gleaned from secondary sources such as published and unpublished materials, journal articles, and the internet. It also examines the notion that state-sponsored terrorism is an act of international conspiracy, as well as political engineering. Findings show that some superpower countries are guilty of being tagged as sponsors of state terrorism as they also use violence as an instrument to protect their national interest, attain their foreign policy dictates, and survive the internal system. Therefore, recommended that Nigeria should effect major changes in its foreign policy towards the development of robust counter-terrorism measures against states capable of sponsoring terrorism within the West African sub-region strengthen its military base, and improve border security to protect its territorial sovereignty.