Over the years, I have testified in Washington about the atrocities unfolding in Nigeria, including in my own Ondo state. On a personal level, I have felt compelled to open my home in order to help those in need, giving them shelter and protection while their government does nothing.
I remember saying goodbye to 14-year-old Hauwa as she left the safety of my compound as one of the toughest moments of my life. Her “crime” was attempting to worship peacefully at church, but still, I wondered if I would see her again and if she would even make it home safely.
When President Trump called for an end to the targeting of Christians by extremists earlier this week, he ignited a flurry of concern in Nigeria, in part driven by the government’s need to push back and try to cover up the situation.
The president is right to identify my country as one in urgent need of firm action to eliminate the insecurity which has plagued our people for decades and that still impedes our development.
Millions continue to suffer due to federal negligence and an unwillingness to request military assistance from allies, including the United States, to eliminate the radical Islamist threat primarily in our northern region.
The targeting of innocent Christian worshippers by radical groups is unacceptable and requires coordinated, targeted military intervention to get a grip on the issue. Such strikes must be supported if undertaken together with Nigerian security forces.
Action over rhetoric would be welcomed by millions of Nigerians, but boots on the ground cannot ever violate Nigerian sovereignty or comprise a “guns-a-blazing” approach.
While insecurity is mostly indiscriminate, certain communities, including churches in the north, continue to be targeted by Boko Haram with genocidal intent. I have seen this with my own eyes.
Churches, homes, farmland, and the futures of millions of Nigerians have, for more than a decade, been turned into embers. A spotlight on the issue from Washington will hopefully serve to ensure our fortunes are reversed, finally pushing the government into action.
Nigerian governments, past and present, have long shied away from seeking support, perhaps embarrassed by their own failings and, in some instances, military complicity. They have tried new tactics, including empowering domestic security forces and military strikes, but these have failed.
Whilst the world paid close attention just over a decade ago to Boko Haram’s chilling abduction of 276 schoolgirls in the town of Chibok (almost 100 are still missing), other atrocities have gone largely ignored.
More than 1,600 other schoolchildren have been kidnapped since, and by UN estimates, more than 7.8 million people, 80 per cent of whom are women and children, have been displaced in the past 15 years since Boko Haram began its campaign of terror.
As a result, investor confidence has reduced, playing a major role in Nigeria’s economic stagnation. More than half of our population (129 million) live in poverty, and over 30 per cent are unemployed. Opportunities for our young people are scarce.
Intervention carries significant risks and could exacerbate an already tense environment, given that previous attempts have not resolved the underlying causes. But millions continue to suffer, with calls for help going ignored.
Guns and bullets alone cannot solve all of Nigeria’s security challenges. The government must adopt a multi-pronged strategy, sharing crucial military intelligence with our neighbours and allies, including Washington, whilst also enhancing domestic coordination.
Enhancing investment in core public services, including education throughout the country, empowering our youth and turning them away from terror must be a non-negotiable position. Certainly it is one I hold sacrosanct.
Nigeria continues to be an enigma. We are a nation with a median age of just 18, with unmatched entrepreneurial potential and talent. And yet Nigerians continue to be held back by self-serving politicians, including those who are content with the status quo, meaning that insecurity and corruption run rampant.
More than half of Nigerians remain trapped in a poverty cycle, with millions unsure whether their journey to school or work will be safe. For them, survival is often a luxury.
Terror groups seek to weaponise discontent and undermine democracy. Indeed, the very name Boko Haram means “Western education is forbidden”. The group has pledged solidarity with al-Qaeda and has threatened not just Nigerians but also the United States. It is not alone.
The Islamic State West Africa Province also remains entrenched and seemingly immovable, operating under a simple but effective playbook that capitalises on widespread poverty and underdevelopment, recruiting young people to their cause for only a few dollars. Abductions, rape, torture and other crimes against humanity have ensued relatively unchallenged for more than a decade.
President Trump is right to shine a light on our worsening security situation. If Nigeria were to coordinate with allies such as the US, it could finally remove one of the main obstacles to our economic and social development.
Ultimately, however, it will be the job of a Nigerian administration to ensure such success can be built on. Like many other Nigerians, I am sadly not convinced the current government is up to the job.
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