Christopher Musa of the Nigerian Defense Staff (CDS) warned that if the Niger Republic, Mali and Burkina Faso fail to return to democratic rule, the country will suffer a significant loss.
In recent years, the three West African countries have been under military control and formed the Sahel State Alliance in September 2023 after withdrawing from the West African States (ECOWAS).
Speak on Arise TV Golden TimeMusa stressed that the leadership failures in these countries directly affect Nigeria, exacerbating issues such as poverty, climate change and governance instability. He noted that instability in neighboring countries posed a challenge as Nigeria was struggling to address security threats. “We have poverty problems in West Africa, governance, the challenges of Niger Republic, Mali and Burkina Faso are a lot. They are spending a lot of calories, and that’s because these areas are big, there’s a lot of poverty in these areas, climate change is a major problem in the area, and the lack of political will is causing these problems,” he said.
Mousa stressed the importance of strong governance in these countries, noting that democratic institutions will provide better decision-making structures. He added: “For us in Nigeria, if they are not right, we will have a lot of losses – they have to have a democratic system that can help them make decisions that will help the country.”
The CD also highlighted the federal government’s efforts to strengthen border management between Nigeria and its neighbours to mitigate security threats. Speaking of the latest global terrorism index, which puts Nigeria in sixth place, he insists that the country’s security has been greatly improved. “The federal government is rising to ensure we have a very good border management system because we have to protect the borders,” he said.
Musa acknowledged that despite some security challenges persist, progress has been made, with fewer attacks recorded in 2024. The farmers returned to the farm and there was a lot of peace. Nigerians know that the situation is indeed improving. We need to work together to do more,” he said.
