The United Nations (UN) has harps on the need for an overall development of Nigeria’s Northeast and the entire Lake Chad area to battle insurgency.
The call was made on Monday by the High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi while speaking in Abuja after a three-day working visit to Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria.
He said lack of social amenities, food and adequate security created a fertile ground for insurgency to breed.
“We need to think long term,” he said. “We need to invest in the development of the Lake Chad Basin.
“We need to win the war in development to win the war over insurgency because underdevelopment breeds insurgency.”
Grandi who lamented the devastating destruction in Nigeria’s northeast as a result of Boko Haram activities, also called on countries of the lake chad basin to prevent and resolve conflicts to avoid its escalation.
He said after his visit to the four affected countries, he found out that there was a strong commitment from the Nigerian government to defeat Boko Haram.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees however, said apart from security, efforts should be made to improve humanitarian response, development and protection of human rights.
