Tinubu Shouldn’t Allow US, France To Site Military Bases In Nigeria – Northern Leaders

President Bola Tinubu has been asked not to allow the United States and French Governments to relocate their military bases from the Sahel to Nigeria.

Some northern leaders made this known in a letter addressed to President Tinubu and the National Assembly on Friday.

The northern leaders said the US and French governments have allegedly been lobbying Nigeria and other countries in the region to sign new defence pacts allowing them to redeploy their expelled troops.

The leaders said setting up the military bases would pose dangers for the country and also expressed concerns about the economic and environmental impacts of hosting foreign military bases.

Citing data from the Pentagon, the letter said the operations of the Western forces to uproot terrorists from the Sahel region have so far been quite unimpressive if not a complete failure.

The letter reads:  “Economically, the presence of these bases could potentially divert government funds and resources away from critical areas such as education, healthcare, and infrastructure development toward maintaining and securing these military installations. This redirection of resources could stunt economic growth and exacerbate poverty in a country where much of the population already lives under challenging conditions.

“Moreover, hosting foreign troops often leads to increased prices and living costs in local areas, disproportionately affecting the lower-income population.

“Environmentally, the construction and operation of military bases can lead to significant degradation of the local environment. This includes deforestation, soil erosion, water contamination, and loss of biodiversity, which are detrimental to agricultural communities and indigenous populations. The long-term environmental damage could further hinder economic opportunities and sustainable development.”

The leaders added that the presence of foreign military bases in Nigeria would worsen already strained relations between Nigeria and neighbouring French countries.

They urged the government to consider the broader implications of such agreements and to prioritise Nigeria’s long-term peace and security over short-term strategic alignments.

Signatories to the letter include Abubakar Mohammed of the Centre for Democratic Development, Research and Training (CEDDERT); Kabiru Chafe, former minister of state for petroleum resources, from the Arewa Research and Development Project (ARDP); and Attahiru Jega, former chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Others are Jibrin Ibrahim of the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD); Auwal Musa (Rafsanjani) of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CCISLAC); and YZ Ya’u of the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD).