Boko Haram Weakened, But Not Defeated – Northern Governors Chairman

Gombe State Governor and Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum, Inuwa Yahaya, has said Boko Haram insurgents have been weakened but remain a security threat in northern Nigeria.

Yahaya spoke on Saturday during the 13th meeting of the Northern States Governors’ Forum in Maiduguri, Borno State, where he identified insecurity as one of the major challenges facing the region.

The governor said attacks on communities were still occurring despite the decline in the strength of Boko Haram. He added that banditry and communal clashes had also emerged as growing security concerns across parts of the North.

According to Yahaya, the continued insecurity has made it difficult for many people displaced by violence to return safely to their communities.

He also expressed concern about the slow implementation of major development projects expected to benefit the region. Among the projects he mentioned were the Mambilla hydropower project, regional railway connections and the expansion of broadband infrastructure.

The governor said northern Nigeria was also facing challenges in the health and education sectors, despite progress recorded in some areas over the past six years.

Yahaya recalled the establishment of the North East Governors’ Forum in Gombe in March 2020, saying the initiative was created to enable states in the region to work together on problems that could not be effectively addressed individually.

He said the region had continued to face insecurity, banditry, cross-border crime, inadequate infrastructure, poor electricity supply and humanitarian challenges, making regional cooperation necessary.

Despite these difficulties, Yahaya said the forum had recorded progress in infrastructure development, electricity, economic growth, human capital development and security.

He also identified the Kolmani oil exploration project as an important economic opportunity for the North-East. According to him, the project should eventually lead to actual oil production, create employment and increase government revenue.

Yahaya said sustained cooperation among northern states remained necessary to address the region’s security, economic and developmental challenges.