Tinubu seeks stronger regional commitment to combat insecurity

Abdullateef Fowewe

President Bola Tinubu has called on regional leaders and international partners to double efforts in combating security, social, and economic challenges in the Lake Chad Basin.

The Lake Chad Basin borders four countries, Cameroun, Niger, Nigeria, and Chad.

This was made known in a statement on Wednesday, by the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha.

Speaking at the Lake Chad Basin governors’ forum in Maiduguri, Borno State capital, the president stressed the need for sustained cooperation, effective governance and investment in development to achieve lasting peace in the region.

Tinubu, who was represented by his vice, Kashim Shettima, noted that while military power is necessary to contain these security threats, it must be accompanied by strategies that address their root causes, including poverty, inequality, and lack of job opportunities for the region’s young population.

He said, “Your Excellencies, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, our response to these threats must be multifaceted. While military solutions are indispensable, they must be complemented by strategies that address the root causes of insecurity—poverty, inequality, and the lack of opportunities for our youth.

“It is a tragic irony that Africa, a continent with the youngest population in the world, sees its youth become cannon fodder for destructive ideologies and the drivers of conflict. This is the challenge before us: to transform this demographic dividend into a force for good.

“Power’s true essence lies not in its possession but in its application. Hard power may secure borders, but it is soft power—through diplomacy, culture, and shared values—that builds bridges and binds us together.”

Tinubu further noted every part of the world is entangled in its own unique security challenges, resulting in the global military gulping “a historic $2.4 trillion in 2023, with no signs of slowing”.

He observed however that “hard power, detached from the moral imperatives of justice and diplomacy, only widens the very divide it seeks to bridge.”

The President told the Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum that it is only by sticking to the vision for which the forum was created that pursuing and adopting partnerships that benefit the people can be achieved.

Such partnerships, he said, include the collective commitment to the African Continental Free Trade Area and advancing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, even as he noted that the choices made “today will echo through generations, shaping the future of this region.”

Recalling the successes recorded so far in repelling threats to the region’s borders and sovereignty by elements of terror, the President attributed past victories by member countries to the joint missions they had embarked on.

“These hard-won victories, are a testament to the strength of our cooperation, as such the guarantee of peace must remain paramount, even when domestic politics or policies seek to undermine the nobility of our agreements to serve the people,” he added.

The president cautioned the Governors and other stakeholders against allowing “the geopolitical tensions across the world to sow discord in the region, and submitting themselves to become tools in any proxy agenda.

“The salvation of the Lake Chad region is neither in Europe nor in the Americas. It lies in the hands of all those gathered here today. You, distinguished representatives of this forum, embody not only our collective will to protect the region but also the transformative potential that stability brings.

“The true enemy remains the non-state actors—those who exploit weak borders, poor governance, and fragile economies to challenge our claim to civilization. However, the worst threat we may face is not the insurgents or terrorists at odds with our humanity. It is the absence of cooperation, sincerity, and fidelity to our shared pact as brothers’ keepers.

“We undermine this pact when we renege on agreements to secure our borders when misinformation and falsehoods breed mistrust, and when we jeopardize the freedom and choices of our people.”