The Swiss government has expressed readiness to support the Borno government’s post-conflict recovery initiative known as the ‘Borno Model’.

The model focuses on the demobilisation, deradicalisation, and reintegration of repentant insurgents.

The commitment was made during a courtesy visit by the new Swiss ambassador to Nigeria, Patrick Egloff, to Governor Babagana Zulum at the Government House, Maiduguri.

Mr Zulum, while welcoming the envoy, expressed appreciation to the government and people of Switzerland for their continuous humanitarian assistance.

He mentioned the aid provided during the 2024 floods that devastated Maiduguri and the surrounding local government areas.

“On behalf of the government and people of Borno, I wish to extend our appreciation to the Swiss government for its intervention through the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund for emergencies in the North-East and the 2024 flood disaster,” Mr Zulum said.

The governor emphasised the need to scale up collaboration and funding in key recovery areas, particularly livelihood restoration for victims of the Boko Haram insurgency and support for mediation.

He noted that the state had made significant progress in stabilising security, with over 300,000 insurgents and their families surrendering in the past four years, adding that insurgency in the region had been reduced by about 90 per cent.

“Borno is now largely peaceful. Notwithstanding intermittent attacks in some areas, most resettled communities have been able to cultivate their farmlands and their means of livelihood have significantly improved,” the governor said.

Mr Zulum explained that the Borno Model, a community-driven, non-kinetic peacebuilding initiative, had become a successful framework for post-insurgency recovery, urging the Swiss government to partner with the state to sustain its impact.

In his remarks, Mr Egloff said Borno was the first state he had visited since assuming duty, describing Mr Zulum’s leadership as “citizen-focused and inspiring”.

“The leadership you provide is extremely important. Your style of governance, with its proximity to the citizens, is very much in line with European models,” he said.

Mr Egloff commended the Borno Model as a forward-looking initiative that Switzerland would be willing to support in partnership with relevant stakeholders.

The meeting was attended by the chief adviser to the governor on sustainable development, partnership, and humanitarian support, Mairo Mandara, and the permanent secretary, Ministry of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement, Ali Goni.

The ambassador was accompanied by the senior programme officer at the Swiss Embassy, Aline Burki, and the senior programme adviser, Ahmed Abdullahi.

(NAN)