Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum has called for stronger regional cooperation to tackle terrorism, insurgency and the wider security crisis affecting the Sahel.
Zulum made the call at a high-level retreat in Maiduguri, where representatives from Sahel countries and ambassadors deliberated on coordinated responses to insecurity, including intelligence sharing, border management and joint stabilization efforts.
The retreat, held at the conference hall of the Musa Usman Secretariat, underscored Maiduguri’s growing role as a hub for regional counter-terrorism dialogue.
Speaking against the backdrop of Borno’s long-running battle with insurgency, Zulum said a purely military approach was insufficient to address terrorism and displacement across the Sahel.
He advocated a multifaceted strategy combining military operations with non-kinetic measures, including deradicalization, reintegration and humanitarian development.
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“While our armed forces continue their brave operations, we must enhance intelligence sharing, community-based border management, and joint stabilization initiatives alongside the Multinational Joint Task Force,” he said.
Zulum has consistently advocated a comprehensive approach to insecurity, urging regional stakeholders to present a united front against terrorist groups, including Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province.
Speaking earlier, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sola Enikanolaiye, called for stronger regional cooperation to address terrorism in the Sahel, saying governments must focus on tackling the root causes of the crisis.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dunoma Umara, said the Sahel’s historical, cultural and economic ties with Nigeria made regional stability critical to the country’s national security and prosperity.
Also speaking, Chad’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Brah Mahamat, called for collective resolve to address insecurity in the region.
“Although we belong to different institutional groupings, this should in no way impede our common security. Let us be clear: the enemy cares little whether we belong to CEMAC, ECOWAS or the AES.
“It aims to continue slipping across our borders, exploiting the operational limitations we have imposed upon ourselves,” he said.
NAN
