Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, welcomed the new Swiss Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Patrick Egloff, at the Government House in Maiduguri.
Governor Zulum thanked the Swiss government for its humanitarian support, especially the assistance given after the 2024 floods that affected Maiduguri and nearby communities. He noted that Switzerland has been helping through the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund.
He called for more support in key areas, particularly to help victims of Boko Haram rebuild their lives and to strengthen peace and mediation efforts in the state.
“We appreciate the Swiss government for its support during emergencies and the flood disaster,” Zulum said. “We hope to work with you to increase funding in important areas, especially to support victims of insurgency and collaborate on peacebuilding.”
Governor Zulum explained that security in Borno has greatly improved, saying the insurgency has reduced by 90% and over 300,000 insurgents and family members have surrendered in the past four years. He added that most communities are now peaceful and people have returned to farming.
He also spoke about the success of the ‘Borno Model,’ a local program for rehabilitating and reintegrating repentant insurgents, and asked for Switzerland’s support in sustaining the initiative.
Ambassador Egloff said Borno was the first Nigerian state he visited since taking office. He praised Zulum’s leadership, describing it as focused on the people and similar to European governance styles.
The meeting was also attended by the Governor’s Chief Adviser on Sustainable Development, Dr. Mairo Mandara, and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Reconstruction, Engineer Ali Goni. The Ambassador came with Senior Program Officer Aline Burki and Senior Program Advisor Ahmed Abdullahi.
