Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, on Thursday embarked on a working visit to Diffa in the Niger Republic as part of renewed efforts to deepen security and economic cooperation across the Lake Chad basin.
The visit came against the backdrop of recent military gains in the fight against Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgents, particularly around border communities where thousands of Nigerian refugees remain in camps in neighbouring countries.
Diffa, which lies about 17 kilometres from Damasak in northern Borno, is currently home to thousands of displaced persons who fled insurgent attacks in their ancestral towns and villages.
Governor Zulum, who led a high-powered delegation, was received by his host, the Governor of Diffa Region, Brigadier General Mahamadou Ibrahim Bagadoma, alongside other senior Nigerien officials. Both leaders held a closed-door meeting that centred on strengthening joint patrols, intelligence sharing, and consolidating the fragile peace in liberated areas.
Speaking during the visit, Zulum explained that his administration was working to take advantage of the improved security atmosphere to return displaced farmers to vast and fertile farmlands around Dutchi in the Lake Chad basin. According to him, restoring farming activities remains key to the region’s recovery and food security.
On the governor’s entourage were a member of the House of Representatives, Engr. Bukar Talba, Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Abdulkarim Lawan, and other senior government officials.