Governors in northeastern Nigeria have called for measures to tackle the roots of a 16-year-long Islamic militant insurgency. A recent uptick in violence has sparked calls for action.
State governors from northeastern Nigeria called on the government on Thursday to put forward a new strategy to tackle an upsurge in Islamist militant attacks.
The governors of Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Gombe, Taraba and Bauchi took part in the 11th North-East Governors Forum (NEGF) amid renewed violence that left more than 100 people dead last month.
Taraba state governor Agbu Kefas said in a closing statement, “The forum… calls for the armed forces, other security agencies and community leaders to reappraise their strategy in the counter-insurgency onslaught in the region.”
Is the Islamist militant insurgency in Nigeria getting stronger?
A 16-year insurgency has ravaged the region, killing tens of thousands, displacing two million, and causing major damage to the local economy.
While the main militant group Boko Haram, as well as its splinter group, the so-called Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), had lost ground to the Nigerian military, a recent spate of attacks has sparked concerns that the violence could once again spread.
The two former rivals have reportedly resolved some of their differences, allowing them to concentrate on fighting Nigeria’s security forces.
They have also updated their combat tactics, employing drones and explosive devices.
Counter-insurgency forces have also suffered setbacks, with Niger pulling out of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) that carried out cross-border patrols and intelligence sharing.
How do Nigeria’s regional governors hope to tackle Boko Haram?
The NEGF governors put together a communique that called for “a multidimensional approach of not only the kinetic strategy but also address the root causes such as youth employment through vocational and technical education, improved road networks, improving education and reducing poverty.”
The governors said they were recommitting themselves to “opening up the subregion to investment opportunities.”
They highlighted the importance of issues from food security, combating climate change, skills acquisition and industrialization.
The last two points would be key to “provide employment to the teaming youths who are vulnerable to recruitment into the army of the insurgents.”
By Alex Berry. A version of this report was first published in DW.
