UN Assistant Secretary-General Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa, said there appear to be more glimmer of hope for things to return to normal in a couple of years in Nigeria’s insecurity-troubled Northeast.
Mrs Eziakonwa, who spoke while addressing newsmen in Abuja on Friday, said remarkable progress had been recorded in the region.
The UN official, however, noted that much work is yet to be done in the region.
Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists have subdued the Northeastern part of Nigeria for years.
Despite the engagement of Nigeria’s security forces, these terrorists have continued to hold sway in the region.
However, the UN official said: “So coming back and doing this mission has been an emotional one for me starting off in the Northeast where UNDP is quite robustly working with the state and federal government to assist those who have been affected by this brutal conflict.
“Indeed on the faces of those that we met there, we saw hope being restored.
“There are still many challenges, but it was amazing to see that because of these green shoots of investments that we are starting to make in rehabilitating the areas, people are feeling confident enough to go back to their ancestral homes to re-cultivate their lives.”
She also commended the Governor of Borno, Babagana Zulum, for demonstrating commitment to help people of the state amid the insecurity challenge.
“He is leading the trail and we are following behind.
“We have to have a cross-border lens to the way we respond to this situation because Boko Haram has affected three other countries – Nigeria, Cameroon and Niger.
“This border dynamics is not one to ignore. So if we are looking for investment that brings back security, that security will have to be re-established in all the countries affected, not just in one,’’ she said.
NAN
