INTERVIEW: What we discussed with northern Nigerian governors who visited America

On 26 April, Johnnie Carson, senior advisor at the Africa Center, U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP), moderated a strategic panel discussion at the USIP, with 10 northern Nigerian governors.

The former US Ambassador to Nigeria later granted an interview to PREMIUM TIMES’ White House correspondent, Pearl Matibe. He spoke about the discussions with the governors and how to tackle the insecurity bedevilling Nigeria.

Excerpts

PT: Ambassador Carson, thank you so much for taking the time to join me today. We deeply appreciate your valuable insights. Your perspective on critical issues surrounding stability in northern Nigeria is of utmost importance. I’m eager to get into these topics with you. Nigeria is facing complexities and various challenges, particularly in northern Nigeria. I have a couple of questions. One will be on background and context. Our discussion today is on the record. Can you provide insight into the historical context of the relationship between the United States and Nigeria, especially regarding efforts to address stability in northern Nigeria and your previous engagements with Nigerian governors from whenever— a couple of years back when you got started on this?

Ambassador Carson: Yes, let me first of all say, Pearl, thank you very much. I think many people, both in and outside of government, recognize that Nigeria is probably the most important country in Africa. It has the largest population, the largest economy, and the continent’s largest democracy. It’s also home to some of the most creative, thoughtful, and entrepreneurial businessmen and women. Over the last decade, starting around 2009, 2010, and 2011, we have seen an upsurge in violence in the northeastern part of the country caused by the group called Boko Haram. It has carried out numerous bombings, kidnappings, robberies, assassinations, attacks on banks, government officials, and religious facilities. Boko Haram aims to discredit and undermine the government, driven largely by political marginalization, although it has taken on a religious character.

One of the things that’s really important is understanding the problem, its origins, and the challenges faced by citizens and government officials in the region. A decade ago, starting in 2014 and again in 2016, I helped bring northern Nigerian governors to Washington. They shared their challenges with officials and researchers at USIP and around Washington, opening opportunities for partnership and cooperation. We’ve done this again recently, inviting governors from 10 states in Northwestern Nigeria and the Middle Belt to share their experiences over two and a half days. So it was important to be able to open these lines of communication, to open those lines of understanding and to share these experiences. We focused on policies and strategies to combat insecurity, including non-kinetic approaches like building resilience in communities, strengthening relationships between civilians and security services, and improving the delivery of social and economic benefits.

We also discussed how other countries facing insurgencies have addressed similar problems. This engagement included meetings with senior US government officials and experts, fostering an understanding of the tools available to help Nigerian governors deal with their challenges. This week, we were able to invite governors of 10 states in northwestern Nigeria from Sokoto, Katsina, Kaduna, and Kano, to come along with several governors from what is, in fact, the middle belt Plateau State. And so governors came in, (and we) listened to those governors show the North-west about the challenges they face, the policies that they are implementing on criminality, kidnapping, insurgency, banditry, cattle rustling, and other divisions that exist. Not only to talk about their policies and strategies and what they’re doing to combat these areas of insecurity but also what we’re doing to try to strengthen the delivery of good governance and essential social services.

We also brought in some USIP experts to talk about how there are different ways to deal with insecurity and instability; non-kinetic ways, by building resilience in communities, strengthening relationships between civilians and security services by expanding the influence and reach of government and the delivery of social and economic benefit, strengthening employment and opening up opportunities for them and building trust in government, and government institutions.

And so, we also had a number of individuals come in and talk about case studies, how the government in Colombia has been able to improve the security situation there – for an example of what others are doing, but we also made sure that governors were able to meet with senior [U.S.] government officials, senior-most official [at the] State Department for African Affairs, Ambassador Molly Phee – US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, the senior-most person at the Defense Department responsible for Africa, Assistant Director in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Jennifer Zakriski.

They also met with congressional staff members and we arranged a very detailed session with organisations in Washington responsible for building community building good business and commercial relationships; Corporate Council on Africa, the Vice President, US-Africa Business Center, US Chamber of Commerce for Africa Dr Yao., deputy assistant secretary of state for African Affairs responsible for business and commercial issues, as well as Prosper Africa. They met with the undersecretary for economic business affairs, and undersecretary for economic growth, energy, and the environment Jose Fernandez. So, it was an effort to open up dialogue, start to share information from them on the problems they face, share information on how they might more effectively deal with them, and give them an indication of the resources that exist in Washington both in the private sector, government sector dealing with crises of the type they face, but also talking to them, development and business issues. It’s amazing how small the world is, but can be so far away.

One of the participants in this, was the governor of Kano State, Abba Kabir Yusuf; the most populous state in Nigeria, larger than the well-known Lagos State in the south, but it’s the most populous state in Nigeria, and it’s in the far northern part of the country. But it’s also a major, major commercial and trade centre. Like Lagos, it is an economic hub. That governor, extraordinary man. First time; had never been to the United States before. And so it’s an important way to begin to build relationships. Nigeria’s federal system places enormous responsibility in the hands of sub-national leaders, like governors, just like in the United States, and so being able to reach out to these governors and sharing some information is extraordinarily important and vital. And so that’s what we were doing. And I hope that it will help those governors deal with the enormous challenges they face on the security and economic development side, and also begin to build partnerships with sources both in and outside of government in Washington, based on a deeper knowledge of who we are as a country, and what the resources are that may be available, in and outside of government, to help them the respond to some of these horrible security challenges. Solutions are not exclusively kinetic, or through security means, but by governments being more responsive to the needs and social delivery of citizens.

PT: Ambassador Carson, I appreciate what you’ve just shared, especially noting that solutions are not always kinetic. It sounds like there has been robust engagement and that the governors have benefited from their time in Washington. Regarding the people on the ground in northwestern Nigeria, who have been forced from their homes and are living in IDP camps, how does the US view progress in addressing the perpetrators behind the violence?

Ambassador Carson: At USIP, we focused on helping government leaders understand the non-kinetic tools available to address violence, banditry, and civil strife. These tools include improving government services, building trust in government, enhancing civilian-military relations, and improving human rights performance by security forces. Effective responses require a combination of social, economic, and political strategies, along with good leadership and resources.

We did not specifically address how to track down perpetrators, as that falls more within the purview of the State Department. However, we emphasized that better governance, service delivery, and building community trust, can significantly contribute to addressing the underlying issues driving the violence. These efforts, combined with persistent and patient application, can lead to substantial improvements.

PT: Ambassador Carson, I want to express my sincerest gratitude for sharing your invaluable insights and expertise with me today. Your perspective on the critical issues facing northern Nigeria and the strategic conversations with Nigeria’s governors has provided us with a deeper understanding of both the challenges and opportunities for the region.

Ambassador Carson: Thank you very much, Pearl. Always good to talk with you.

PT: Thank you, Ambassador.

Pearl Matibe is a Washington, DC-based correspondent and media commentator with expertise in US foreign policy and international security. You may follow her on Twitter: @PearlMatibe