Nigerian and Nigerien political and military leaders met Monday in Maiduguri, Borno State, to enhance more cooperation on ways of stemming the Boko Haram/Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorism ravaging the two nations.
Secretary-General, Nigeria-Niger Joint Commission for Cooperation, Ambassador Rabiu Akawu, who spoke during the meeting of the Local Bi-lateral Committee (LBC) involving Borno and Yobe states of Nigeria and Diffa Region of Niger Republic, said that it was called to search for sustainable solutions to security challenges facing the two countries for over a decade.
“The issue has therefore called for a collective action, a bottom-top approach and trans-boundary synergy and solution. The continuous search for a sustainable solution that will enable us to permanently put the problem behind us informed the convening of this meeting,” he said.
He urged the participants to come up with practical recommendations that would unearth the remote and immediate causes of the insurgency, as well as comprehensively identify and enumerate the role of local communities in ensuring security and maintenance of law and order in their areas.
The meeting, he said, would also discuss issues of food security, health, transportation, sports and youth-related activities.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, said the inactivity of the LBC had contributed to the increasing rate of insecurity in the frontier states and the two countries.
He said the situation had not afforded stakeholders the opportunity to monitor activities at the border communities, resulting in the infiltration of small arms and light weapons into the countries.
Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, said there was the need to address the infrastructural needs of the border communities.
He said, “We must renew commitment to better the lives of the people at that end. The provision of adequate infrastructure will no doubt enhance their livelihood and build their resilience.”