Our reporter/ Some northern leaders over the weekend cautioned against allowing the US and French governments to relocate their military bases from the Sahel to Nigeria.
In a letter addressed to President Bola Tinubu and the national assembly, the northern leaders said accepting such a proposal would pose dangers for the country.
Signatories to the letter include Abubakar Mohammed of the Centre for Democratic Development, Research and Training (CEDDERT); Kabiru Chafe, former minister of state for petroleum resources, from the Arewa Research and Development Project (ARDP); Attahiru Jega, former chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); Jibrin Ibrahim of the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD); Auwal Musa (Rafsanjani) of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CCISLAC); and YZ Ya’u of the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD).
After expelling French forces helping in the fight against terrorism, Niger’s military government agreed in January to step up military cooperation with Russia.
In March, the junta also revoked an accord with the US government which allowed American troops to operate on two of its bases.
The US also reportedly agreed to close down its $100m military drone base near Agadez, which was built six years ago and played a key role in the US/France strategy to combat jihadists in West Africa.
According to the letter addressed to Tinubu, the northern leaders said the US and French governments have allegedly been lobbying Nigeria, and other countries in the region, to sign new defence pacts allowing them to redeploy their expelled troops.
Citing data from the Pentagon, the letter said the operations of the Western forces to uproot terrorists from the Sahel region have so far been “quite unimpressive, if not a complete failure”.
“This is for the simple reason that terrorism, far from abating, has in fact risen dramatically since the US began its operations in the region,” the letter said.
The leaders also expressed concerns about the economic and environmental impacts of hosting foreign military bases.
“Economically, the presence of these bases could potentially divert government funds and resources away from critical areas such as education, healthcare, and infrastructure development toward maintaining and securing these military installations. This redirection of resources could stunt economic growth and exacerbate poverty in a country where much of the population already lives under challenging conditions,” they said.
“Moreover, hosting foreign troops often leads to increased prices and living costs in local areas, disproportionately affecting the lower-income population.
“Environmentally, the construction and operation of military bases can lead to significant degradation of the local environment. This includes deforestation, soil erosion, water contamination, and loss of biodiversity, which are detrimental to agricultural communities and indigenous populations. The long-term environmental damage could further hinder economic opportunities and sustainable development.”
The letter added that the presence of foreign military bases in Nigeria would worsen already strained relations between Nigeria and neighbouring French countries.
The leaders urged the government to consider the broader implications of such agreements and to prioritise Nigeria’s long-term peace and security over short-term strategic alignments.
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