Former Borno State Governor and Senator, Ali Modu Sheriff, has called on the Federal Government to strengthen regional cooperation with neighbouring countries as a vital step toward ending the Boko Haram insurgency.
Speaking on Politics Today on Channels Television on Monday, Sheriff emphasized that lasting peace in Nigeria’s northeast is impossible without robust alliances with Cameroon, Chad, and Niger.
“We must build proper relationships with Cameroon, Chad, and Niger,” he said when asked how to bring a permanent end to the crisis.
Sheriff, who served as Borno governor from 2003 to 2011, recalled that during his tenure, many wrongly viewed the insurgency as a local issue.
“Even my next-door neighbour, the then Yobe State governor, didn’t believe it had external roots. But these problems were coming from across our borders,” he explained. “Borno shares land borders with Chad, Niger, and Cameroon — and that made us highly vulnerable.”
He noted that local actors were often exploited by foreign interests under the guise of religion, with external forces actively fueling instability in Nigeria.
On the current economic challenges under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, Sheriff acknowledged the hardship but warned against placing sole blame on the President.
The Boko Haram insurgency has devastated the region for over a decade, claiming thousands of lives and displacing millions. However, according to National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, since Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, over 13,000 Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters have been neutralised, and more than 124,000 have surrendered.
