Nigeria has called for renewed diplomatic engagement with countries of the Sahel, particularly Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, as part of efforts to strengthen regional peace, security, economic cooperation and sustainable development.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, made the call on Saturday at the opening of a two-day High-Level Retreat of Nigerian Ambassadors and Sahel/Lake Chad diplomatic representatives in Maiduguri, Borno State.
The retreat, which has as its theme, “Strengthening Nigeria’s Engagement with the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin Countries: Towards Peace, Security and Sustainable Regional Development,” brings together Nigerian ambassadors and diplomatic representatives from the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin countries to deliberate on emerging regional challenges and opportunities.
Enikanolaiye said Nigeria needed to “mend fences” with the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), comprising Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, at the political and diplomatic levels, stressing that stronger relations with neighbouring countries were critical to Nigeria’s national security and economic prosperity.
He said the security and economic fortunes of Nigeria were closely linked to developments across the region.
“What happens in Niamey affects Maiduguri. What happens in N’Djamena influences Borno. Developments in Bamako, Ouagadougou, Nouakchott and Yaoundé have direct implications for Nigeria’s national security, economic wellbeing and regional diplomacy,” he said.
According to the Minister, Nigeria’s relationship with the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin countries is rooted in centuries of shared history, commerce, culture, religion, language and family ties.
He said these historical bonds should be leveraged to rebuild confidence, deepen cooperation and promote peace and shared prosperity across the region.
The Minister identified terrorism and violent extremism, transnational organised crime, irregular migration, climate change, environmental degradation, humanitarian crises and geopolitical competition as major challenges confronting the Sahel.
He, however, stressed that no country could effectively tackle the challenges alone, urging a collective, coordinated and forward-looking regional response anchored on diplomacy.
Enikanolaiye also announced that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had proposed a Sahel Development Compact, designed to shift the regional focus from crisis management to sustainable development.
He said the proposed compact would promote cooperation in infrastructure, agriculture, trade, transport connectivity, energy, education, climate resilience, water resources management, humanitarian response and human capital development.
The Minister emphasised that sustainable peace could not be achieved through military action alone, saying inclusive economic growth, social justice and opportunities for young people were equally essential.
On the Lake Chad Basin, Enikanolaiye called for urgent action to restore the shrinking lake, describing its revival as critical to regional security, environmental sustainability and the livelihoods of millions of people.
He said stakeholders must move beyond debates over the feasibility and environmental impact assessment of the proposed project and begin concrete efforts to raise the over $50 billion required to actualise it.
He also called for renewed commitment to the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) to strengthen collective efforts against persistent security threats in the Lake Chad Basin.
The Minister described Maiduguri as a strategic and symbolic venue for the retreat, noting that the city, once widely regarded as an epicentre of insecurity in the Lake Chad Basin, now represents resilience, recovery and renewed hope.
He said Maiduguri’s transformation demonstrated what could be achieved through visionary leadership, resilience and sustained commitment to development.
Enikanolaiye said the retreat was expected to culminate in the adoption of the Maiduguri Roadmap for Nigeria’s Continued Engagement with the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin Countries.
According to him, the roadmap would provide a framework for sustained political dialogue, enhanced security cooperation, economic integration, humanitarian collaboration and people-to-people engagement.
It would also establish mechanisms for regular high-level bilateral visits, periodic political consultations, Joint Commission meetings and sectoral working groups to ensure effective implementation of the retreat’s resolutions.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the retreat offered Nigeria an opportunity to reassess its engagement with the Sahel and Lake Chad regions against the backdrop of changing geopolitical realities.
He noted that the emergence of the AES and evolving democratic dynamics in West and Central Africa required renewed diplomatic engagement, strategic dialogue and innovative approaches to regional cooperation.
The Permanent Secretary said participants would examine practical strategies for advancing the proposed Sahel Development Compact, including regional security and intelligence cooperation, trade facilitation, infrastructure development, transport connectivity, agriculture, food security, climate resilience, humanitarian response, youth empowerment and diplomatic confidence-building.
He expressed optimism that the deliberations would generate practical policy recommendations and produce a strategic roadmap for stronger regional collaboration.
The retreat brings together Nigerian ambassadors and heads of mission, representatives of Sahel countries, the ECOWAS Commission, Lake Chad Basin Commission and MNJTF, as well as senior government officials, security agencies, development partners, humanitarian organisations, academia and private-sector representatives.
The Permanent Secretary commended the Planning, Research and Statistics Department and African Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Borno State Government and other partner institutions for their contributions to the organisation of the retreat.
