not in my name

Niger: How northern Nigeria holds back ECOWAS military action

By Dammy Matthew, In Kano

Reserved for subscribers

Posted on September 5, 2023 11:35

Silhouettes of members of the regional ECOWAS force are seen at the Denton Bridge check point in Banjul, Gambia January 22, 2017. REUTERS/Thierry Gouegnon

ECOWAS military chiefs say they are ready to intervene in Niger, but a strong political lobby in Nigeria’s north is pushing back. Religious leaders, intellectuals and civil society say colonial boundaries are far weaker than the ties between Northern Nigeria and Niger.

“I have been inundated with phone calls on the readiness of countries with their military force and contributions. However, I told them to wait. I am meeting with the Ulamas (Islamic theologians),” said President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria during a recent meeting with representatives of the country’s northern Muslim establishment. Did they convince him to wait?

There's more to this story

Get unlimited access to our exclusive journalism and features today. Our award-winning team of correspondents and editors report from over 54 African countries, from Cape Town to Cairo, from Abidjan to Abuja to Addis Ababa. Africa. Unlocked.

Subscribe Now

cancel anytime

Already a a subscriber Sign In

More Politics

Sima Gabon Gabon’s transitional Prime Minister Raymond Ndong Sima in Libreville, 10 September 2023 ©AFP

two year deadline

Gabon’s new Prime Minister Raymond Ndong Sima: ‘I hesitated’ Heading Gabon’s new government, ex-opposition member Raymond Ndong Sima has taken up his post as prime minister of the transition.

Zimbabwe’s new president Emmerson Mnangagwa and his wife Auxillia in 2017. (Reuters/Siphiwe Sibeko)

Nepo babies

Zimbabwe: Ignoring the party, Mnangagwa selects his friends and family cabinet Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa has stocked the cabinet with friends and relatives, an official change from his first term.

FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu waves at a crowd, during his swearing-in ceremony in Abuja FILE PHOTO: Nigerian President Bola Tinubu waves at a crowd, during his swearing-in ceremony in Abuja, Nigeria, May 29, 2023. ©REUTERS/Temilade Adelaja

Indigenous pressure

Nigeria: Court ruling reignites clamour for Abuja’s state-status After Nigeria’s presidential election court ruled that the capital should be treated like a 37th state, Abuja’s original inhabitants are calling for a...

FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: Cocoa beans are pictured next to a warehouse at the village of Atroni, near Sunyani © FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: Cocoa beans are pictured next to a warehouse at the village of Atroni, near Sunyani, Ghana April 11, 2019. Picture taken April 11, 2019. REUTERS/Ange Aboa/File Photo/File Photo – RC2353A8341Z

Not enough

Ghana: Cocoa farmers still disgruntled despite hiked price The announcement on 9 September that cocoa price went up from GH¢800 to GH¢1,308 ($113) per bag evoked mixed responses from farmers.