Foreign Affairs Minister Tuggar Speaks On USAID Alleged Support For Boko Haram In Nigeria
Speaking at the 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing Series in Abuja on Thursday, Tuggar reassured Nigerians that despite the allegations, the terrorist group has been significantly weakened.
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has stated that allegations of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) supporting Boko Haram remain unproven.
He emphasised that the Nigerian government also did not want to meddle in US politics, alluding that the allegation first came from a politician.
Speaking at the 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing Series in Abuja on Thursday, Tuggar reassured Nigerians that despite the allegations, the terrorist group has been significantly weakened.
He also highlighted ongoing efforts to rehabilitate and reintegrate affected individuals through government initiatives.
“With regards to the dignity of Nigeria and this allegation — it is an allegation, it’s not something that has been proven. And we know that politics is also played in the United States of America. They have partisan politics. It’s not our business. We’re not getting involved in their domestic politics,” Tuggar stated.
He pointed to the government’s Safe Corridor programme in Gombe, where former militants, combatants, and non-combatants are assessed and provided with the necessary support.
According to him, individuals are categorised based on their level of involvement, with some being reoriented, others facing trial, and those in need of resettlement receiving assistance.
Tuggar also praised Nigeria’s counterterrorism strategies, particularly the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), which he said has become a model for other nations.
“Somalia is looking at what we’re doing, saying they want to copy us, and several others. Sometimes, we take for granted some of the homegrown solutions we come up with. The Multinational Joint Task Force is being studied by developed countries, asking, ‘How are these guys doing it?’ We want to do the same thing,” he noted.
The minister further highlighted Nigeria’s longstanding contributions to peacekeeping missions across Africa, citing past efforts in Sierra Leone and Liberia.
He urged Nigerians to recognise the country’s achievements in security and diplomacy.
“We really need to start looking at ourselves differently. We need to start looking at our model and our applications. We need to start looking at what we did with regards to peacebuilding in Sierra Leone, in Liberia, and what we’re doing now in the Northeast,” he said.
