President Bola Tinubu’s foreign policy direction will only become clear with the constitution of his cabinet. We expect the Lake Chad Basin to receive due attention and the new Service Chiefs must keep their eyes on events around neighbouring states. While the Service Chiefs were visiting Aso Villa, Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, was in N’djamena for the Fourth Summit of Governors of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC). The theme of the meeting was: ‘New Opportunities for Peace in a Shifting Security Context’. When the LCBC was established in May 1964 through the Fort Lamy (now N’djamena ) Convention, there were four member countries – Nigeria, Chad, Niger Republic and Cameroon. Today, membership has risen to eight after the Central African Republic, Libya, Sudan and Algeria joined.

The two Congo nations are active Observers. In fighting insecurity, Tinubu must look inwards as well as beyond the country’s borders. Most of the weapons used by killer herdsmen, bandits, insurgents and militants come in through the frontiers. The war in Libya created serious security issues all over the West African Sub Region. These weapons flooded Nigeria through porous and unmanned borders. Former President Muhammadu Buhari failed in his duty as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces when he encouraged unhindered access to people of questionable character in his open door policy.

Today, Sudan is in turmoil and the only country that has done so little about migration southwards is Nigeria. There are Fulani and Hausa in Sudan, a development that makes it easy for citizens of that country to escape to West Africa’s strongest economy. We expect Zulum soonest in Abuja to brief the president on the outcome of the N’djamena Summit. Deliberations in the Chadian capital could not have been centred on other issues like shared water resources and promotion of regional integration. What should guide Tinubu is that attacks could come from any of the Lake Chad Basin nations and the best way to guard against this is to show effective leadership. There are Boko Haram elements in Chad, Cameroon and Niger respectively. It is also instructive that the few times Nigerian forces were called upon to fight international wars, Chad and Cameroon, were the aggressors.

In 1981, Cameroonian forces attacked a Nigerian patrol team. In 1983, Chad seized 19 Nigerian islands. Second Lieutenant Senayon S. Amosu and his patrol team were ambushed and killed on May 16, 1981 around Akpa Yafe River in the Ikang area of Cross River State. We need to remind Tinubu that Amosu’s death did not stop his cousin, Adesola, from joining the military and rising to the position of Chief of Air Staff. In 1983, Chadian President, Hissen Habre, sent one of his military commanders, Idris Deby to annex 19 Nigerian fishing villages. His Nigerian counterpart, Shehu Shagari sent Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to war. The Nigerian troops were marching to N’djamena when they were called back. Deby later became President of Chad, while Buhari also became two- time leader of Nigeria. The Chadian was killed by rebels in April 2021 while Buhari ruled from Aso Villa. This is a reminder that security of the Lake Chad Basin must be treated with all seriousness.

Deby’s son succeeded his late father. Mahmat Deby Itno, rushed to Buhari to alert him on the threat an embattled Sudan posed to Lake Chad security. This is what Tinubu must address. And the quickest way to begin is to appoint a Foreign Minister. Buhari was magnanimous to LCBC. Between 2015 and 2021, Nigeria contributed over $210 million. He also intervened in Chad by appointing Babagana Kingibe as Special Envoy to oversee the transition in our North- east neighbour. The Chadians are used to rebellion, from FROLINAT to FACT. Nigerians have seen terrorists, from Boko Haram to herdsmen, unknown gunmen and bandits.

Cameroonians are grappling with Ambazonia. This is a threat to the LCBC. With the removal of fuel subsidies, some of Nigeria’s neighbours are suffering, as well. A combination of their angst with internal revolt will be too hot to handle for the Tinubu regime. That is the more reason he should apply tact and diplomacy in his dealings with them. Tinubu went to France last month to attend the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact. Nigeria is surrounded on all sides by Francophone neighbours. Good neighbourliness is one thing, good leadership triggers it. A good leader must know when to bark and when to bake friendship. This should guide Abuja.

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