The Borno state governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has hosted a high-level retreat in Maiduguri, bringing together representatives from Sahel countries and ambassadors to deliberate on coordinated efforts to tackle terrorism, insurgency and the broader security crisis plaguing the region.
The retreat, held at the conference hall of the Musa Usman Secretariat weekend, underscores Maiduguri’s emerging role as a hub for regional counter-terrorism dialogue.
Zulum has been at the forefront of advocacy for a comprehensive approach to insecurity and he used the occasion to rally regional stakeholders around the need for a unified front against terrorist groups, including Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP).
Speaking against the backdrop of Borno’s long-standing experience with insurgency, Zulum reiterated that a purely military approach has proven insufficient and that the terrorism and displacement affecting the Sahel cannot be solved by kinetic means alone.
The governor has consistently advocated for a multifaceted strategy that combines robust military offensives with non-kinetic interventions such as de radicalisation, reintegration, and humanitarian development.
He said: “While our armed forces continue their brave operations, we must enhance intelligence sharing, community-based border management, and joint stabilisation initiatives alongside the Multinational Joint Task Force (MINTF).”
Speaking earlier, the Minister of Sate Foreign Affairs, Mr Sola Enikanolaiye, has called for stronger regional cooperation to tackle terrorism in the Sahel region, noting that governments across the region should focus on addressing the root causes of the crisis.