Businesses boom in Baga after decade-long insurgency

Businesses and other commercial activities have resumed in full swing in Baga, Borno, after the decade-long Boko Haram insurgency, which ravaged the commercial border town.

Baga is a major fishing community in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno, located on the shores of Lake Chad, attracting people across the northern region who engage in fishing and agriculture.

At the peak of the insurgency, the Boko Haram terrorists sacked the town, killing and maiming thousands of the residents.

Many residents were displaced as the terrorists destroyed their homes and social facilities such as schools, health facilities, markets, and critical infrastructure.

A correspondent of the newsmen who visited Baga on Wednesday reports that people have resumed their normal lives in the resettled community.

Supreme News reports farming and fishing activities were taking place in a peaceful atmosphere while schools and hospitals were running uninterrupted services.

Some of the residents, who spoke with newsmen in separate interviews, commended the troops, especially the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), for securing the community.

Zanna Arjinoma, the District Head of Baga, highlighted the positive impacts of Operation Lake Sanity 2 being implemented by the MNJTF in the area.

Arijinoma said the operation restored peace, paving the way for the revival of commercial activities while academic activities continued uninterrupted.

He said the MNJTF also executed viable projects, including boreholes, irrigation facilities, and schools, adding that the gesture facilitated the return of normalcy and restored civil authorities in the area.

Another resident, Maina Mustafa-Jatau, said that adjourning communities to Baga, such as Doron-Baga, also witnessed a similar boost in commercial activities caused by the peace restoration efforts of the military.

He attributed the feat to the kinetic and non-kinetic approaches adopted by the MNJTF, North East Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), and the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF).

Corroborating earlier opinions, Babagana Ibrahim, a rice grower, said the sustained peacebuilding has bolstered agricultural activities and enhanced food security.

Ibrahim lauded the MNJTF for providing boreholes aimed at enhancing access to clean water and encouraging irrigation activities.

He urged the Borno government to complement the gesture through robust farmer support services to boost productivity, adding that the town was safe following sustained patrols by the troops.

Similarly, Falmata Modu commended the MNJTF troops for their sacrifices towards peacebuilding.

Fatima, a fish vendor, said that they were leaving in peace, adding that “when we were resettled by the state government in Baga two years ago, we were apprehensive that Boko Haram might return.

“But seeing the efforts of the Nigerian troops in the MNJTF, our fears gradually vanished.”

She said that more displaced people were voluntarily returning to the town.

“When we hear that the MNJTF is conducting operations in the lake and Kukawa, we know that the government really cares about us.

“Praise be to Allah, fishermen can now go deeper into the lake to harvest more fish. The business is growing,” she said.

On his part, Modu Bukar, a fisherman, expressed joy over the idevelopment, adding that, “fishing have significantly increased in the Lake Chad.

“We can now venture far and wide without any fear,” he said.

More so, Ibrahim Bashir, a teacher at Baga Junior Secondary School, said the school also benefited from MNJTF’s quick-impact projects.

Bashir listed the projects to include perimeter fencing, the provision of solar-powered boreholes, and the construction of latrines for both staff and students.