Latest news with #NortheastNigeria
Zawya
3 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Nigeria: How NEDC's projects are rebuilding lives, infrastructure in Northeast?
For decades the Northeast of Nigeria, particularly Borno State, has come under serious threat from the activities of Boko Haram and ISWAP. This challenge led to the collapse of infrastructure, like water supply, electricity supply, as well as the destruction of houses and cities, towns and villages. According to a resident of Maiduguri, Muntari Shariff, 'The Northeast especially Borno State is in hopeless state of infrastructural delay. Thousands of people have been displaced. To be candid, government alone can't do it alone.' Findings by Nigerian Tribune revealed that it was based on such premise that the Federal Government established the North East Development Commission (NEDC) in 2017. Since the establishment of the commission, it has been up and doing in order to bring succour to the people of the Northeast. It was gathered that several interventions by the commission aimed at bringing relief to the six states in the Northeast have been carried out. Even though, some are of the opinion that more interventions need to be done, there are a lot of successes have been recorded. NEDC's interventions so far Nigerian Tribune gathered that the commission has carried out a number of interventions in the Northeast region. Findings by Nigerian Tribune showed that in Konduga and Gwom in Borno State, the NEDC has constructed modern housing estates for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). For many who fled their villages due to the insurgency, these homes are the first step towards rebuilding family life and finding peace again. 'We have been living in camps for years. But now, we have a roof of our own,' said Bukar, a father of five, resettled in Gwom. The commission has also supported the repatriation of Nigerian refugees from Cameroon, Chad, and Niger, and is working closely with local authorities to help IDPs return to their ancestral communities. Also, healthcare infrastructure has received a major boost. For instance, at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), a new 40-room labour ward is now operational, easing the burden on maternity services. In addition, the commission has provided life-saving equipment and constructed additional blocks in UMTH, General Hospital, Eye and Dental Hospital, and the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital in Maiduguri. Meanwhile, hundreds of solar-powered streetlights have been installed across Maiduguri. Nightlife, once shut down by insecurity, is slowly returning. Markets now stay open for longer, and residents feel safer walking in their communities. The commission has made education a top priority, especially for children affected by the conflict. Schools destroyed during attacks have been rebuilt, thereby reopening the doors of learning for thousands. In Mafa, 14-year-old Amina said, 'They tried to stop us with fear, but now we are going back to school. It gives me hope.' To further improve the quality of education, the NEDC is training 600 Tsangaya and Islamiyya school teachers across the Northeast. A broader programme is also underway to train 100,000 teachers from the six states of Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Gombe, Bauchi, and Taraba. To tackle rising youth unemployment, the NEDC has rolled out skill acquisition programmes. In partnership with the Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC), young people have been trained in electricity installation and line work at the National Power Training Institute in Kainji. In Jere and Mafa, vulnerable farmers and women entrepreneurs have received over 1,000 water pumps, 400 cartons of herbicides, and 200 units each of spaghetti-making and grinding machines—giving many families a fresh start in micro-enterprise. Minister calls for collaboration Speaking during a visit to Borno State recently, the Minister of State for Regional Development, Uba Maigari Ahmodu, stressed the need for close collaboration with the Northeast Governors Forum to achieve the broader Northeast Stabilisation and Development Plan (NESDP). The minister noted that the Ministry of Regional Development will ensure adequate supervision of NEDC to achieve the goal to rebuild and stabilise the Northeast region after years of insurgency and economic disruption. The minister's delegation during the visit comprised the chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on NEDC, Hon. Usman Zannah, and other committee members; the chairman of the NEDC board, Major General Paul C. Tarfa (rtd); the MD/CEO of the commission, Mohammed Goni Alkali, and other senior management officials who were part of the strategic meeting. Zulum's challenge to NEDC While welcoming the entourage, the Borno State governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, called on NEDC to prioritise projects that can provide lasting benefits and boost infrastructural development across the six states in the northeast region. The governor, was speaking at the Government House, when he received the expanded management and board of the NEDC led by Ahmodu. Governor Zulum listed security, dry inland ports, African Intercontinental Free Trade Zone, independent electricity supply, and road networks as some of the key priorities for the northeast. He said, 'I think the time has come for us to prioritise our projects. We have gone into more than 50 per cent of the lifespan of the NEDC. I am not saying that NEDC will collapse. What I mean by lifespan is the funding window allocated to the commission according to the act that established it. So, let's come up with what we can do to get maximum benefit from establishing the commission. 'Other commissions have come on board; we cannot afford to perform below them. This time around, we must have a yardstick. Otherwise, not only the minister, the chairman of the House committee, or the MD, but all of you are from the northeast; a time will come when we will call you out that there is nothing tangible to show within your tenure.' Zulum, however, assured the minister and the NEDC management of the governors' commitment within the Northeast to support the commission in achieving its mandate. Despite his demand, the governor also commended the NEDC for supporting the state with humanitarian aid, school projects, and other programmes that positively affect the lives of the people of Borno State and the region. Copyright © 2022 Nigerian Tribune Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
BBC News
13-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Pipo for Northern Nigeria fear di return of deadly attacks of Boko Haram
Last September, afta Boko Haram militants attack Mafa town for Yobe, Northeast Nigeria, e don bring back fears of time wey pipo for di area believe say don go. Di attackers kill ova 100 pipo by di time di attack end. Boko Haram dey promote di kain Islam wey be say na "haram" or forbidden for Muslims to participate for any political or social activity wey dey linked wit Western society. Boko Haram see Nigeria as kontri wey dey run by non-believers weda na Muslim be president or not. Dis na according to one old BBC tori. Even though pipo bin reason say dem don dey weak ova di years bicos of how di Nigerian military and joint operations wit neighbouring kontris dey sama dem, Boko Haram attacks for Nigeria don dey more frequent ova di last three years. Attacks wey dey linked to di group don gradually increase for di last three years, from 105 attacks for 2022, to 147 for 2023 and 191 for 2024, according to BBC analysis for data from SBM intelligence wey be African focused security intel gathering firm. For 2025, di first recorded attack happun for 4 January, wen di group block Nigerian sojas for Sabon Gari village, and kill six pipo. Just nine days afta, for January 13, Boko Haram attack Dumba village near Baga and kill 40 farmers and fishermen. Oda attacks don dey happun evri month dis year, wit increasing frequency and dey mark trend wey dey cause fear, di trend say kasala don start again and so far don dey burst for rural communities and just outside urban centres. Signs say palava don start again? On 8 April, 2025, Govnor of Borno state, Babagana Umara Zulum raise alarm on top new Boko Haram attacks and di increase in kidnappings. E say di group dey come back again by targeting military bases and killing civilians. E tok say, "dis killing of innocent pipo and security personnel dey alarming and e mark serious setback both for Borno State and di wider northeastern region". Tori of increase in kasala for Borno and Yobe states suggest say di group fit neva dey defeated as dem bin dey tink. Aliyu Harande wey come from Mafa tell BBC afta last year attack say, "wetin we take our eyes see no be just small act of violence. Na sign say we don dey loose hope and courage. Evribodi dey fear and pipo dey struggle make dem no run mad. "For us wey bin tink say dia activities don come down, dis event make us know say dem dey regroup." Zanna Umara, na official of Tarmuwa local goment council and e tell BBC say, "we no dey pray make dem come back, but di level of di attack for Mafa, e be like say dem dey arrange dia comeback". Dr Kabir Adamu, Managing Director of Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited reveal say di recent rise in attacks fit dey linked to some factors. E say di first na di Islamic State release of "global order wey ginger dia colleagues to increase attacks, and we don see many groups wey don dey ansa di call". Di second factor wey Dr Adama point to na seasonal patterns. E say, "just bifor di rainy season, dis groups dey normally increase dia work bicos dem know say military operations dey normally slow down dat time bicos of say di road dey hard to move and limited visibility". E also say di main reason na regional instability. E say, "kasala for di Sahel, especially for kontris like Chad, Niger and Burkina Faso wey don weak border security wey dey make dis groups to move, recruit and receive support freely". E also tok say di internal changes for di structure of Nigeria military don play role. Dis na especially bicos of how dem don move equipment and personnel from di northeast go di northwest. But di Nigeria goment say di increase in Boko Haram attacks na bicos of how dem dey grow for neighbouring kontris. Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, wey be Nigeria defence minister tell BBC say, "no look di rise in attacks alone o! Wetin dey happun for our neighbouring kontris dey important. Insurgents don increase dia activities all ova di region and dat don enta wetin we dey face for Nigeria." According to di United Nations Development Program (UNDP), ova 35,000 na im dey estimated say Boko Haram attacks don kill from 2009 to 2024. Dis include seven attacks for just 2024 wey don cause ova 200 deaths and ova 300 injuries wey be hike compared to former years. UNDP say di attacks dey happun mostly for north-eastern Nigeria, especially dat Borno State wia Boko Haram and dia pikin ISWAP dey continue to target civilians and military personnel. As Nigerians dey face di double wahala of increased living costs and increased insurgent kasala, e dey test di strength of pipo wey dey directly affected well-well. Harande say, "wetin we go face first, na di cost of living wahala abi di insecurity and fear for our lives?" As village pipo - di most common civilian victims of insurgent attacks – dey mourn dia losses and rebuild dia lives, dem dey do am wit fear and panic sake of say dem no know wen di next attack go come. Hajara Idris (no be her real name) tell BBC afta di attack for Mafa say, "my pikin dem dey fear, we no even know weda e dey safe to go back. Di army dey here but I no feel safe again". No be only her dey feel like dat. Fatima Bakar (no be her real name) also get dis fears. She say, "Di attack don traumatize us. We don see tins wey we neva imagine and e be like say place no dey wey go dey safe for is. Even wit di army, I dey fear evri night say Boko Haram go come back".
Arab News
10-05-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Nigerian state bans petrol aiming to curb militant attacks
KANO: Nigeria's northeastern state of Borno, the epicenter of the militant insurgency, on Saturday said it was banning the sale of petrol in a bid to curtail a resurgence of militant attacks. 'I have directed the immediate ban on the sale of petrol in Bama town, ...and other parts of Bama Local Government Area with immediate effect,' Borno state governor Babagana Umara Zulum was quoted as saying in a statement issued by his office. The ban is part of the 'state government's strategic response to counter insurgency operations,' the statement added. The cutting of fuel supplies for vehicles is expected to restrict the militants' mobility. The town targeted by the ban is the largest after the state capital Maiduguri, and sits on the fringes of Sambisa forest, a major enclave of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), a splinter group of Boko Haram. The town witnessed the worst devastation by Boko Haram militants who seized it in 2014 and killed hundreds of residents. Northeastern Nigeria has seen an upsurge in Islamist militant attacks in recent weeks, reigniting a grinding 16-year conflict that has left more than 40,000 dead and displaced some two million people. More than 100 people have been killed in the region since April. The state of Borno in particular, where the Boko Haram militant group emerged 16 years ago, remains the epicenter of the conflict in Africa's most populous country.
