Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State has identified poverty and illiteracy as major drivers of the Boko Haram insurgency in the North East.
Speaking on Monday through the Secretary to the State Government, Baba Malam Wali, during a courtesy visit by participants of the Executive Intelligence Management Course 18 from the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS), Governor Buni said tackling these root causes is essential to ending insurgency in the region.
“Illiteracy and poverty have played a significant role in the re-emergence of Boko Haram. It is very important that we continue to work on these issues,”; he stated.
Buni emphasized that sustainable peace can only be achieved if underlying social and economic challenges are addressed.
He warned that ignoring these factors would only prolong insecurity in the region.
The governor also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to reducing poverty and improving education through economic empowerment programmes, rehabilitation of schools, and recruitment of qualified teachers.
Earlier, the leader of the NISS delegation, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi Yar’adua, explained that their study tour aimed to assess Yobe’s security situation and identify best practices that could shape national security policy.
He said findings from the visit would feed into a detailed report to guide future decisions on security management.
