The Chad Basin National Park and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) have sought deeper collaboration with the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), to strengthen security and improve humanitarian operations across Nigeria’s North-East region.
The Conservator of Parks, Chad Basin National Park, Innocent Asuquo, made the appeal during a courtesy visit to the Theatre Commander of OPHK, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, at the headquarters of the operation in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Asuquo stressed that no single agency could effectively address the security challenges facing the region, particularly the threat posed by terrorists and criminal groups exploiting national parks and forest reserves as hideouts.
He commended Operation Hadin Kai for its resilience and sacrifices in restoring peace and enabling socio-economic activities in the North-East, expressing confidence that stronger collaboration would further enhance security within protected forest areas.
In response, Major General Abubakar reaffirmed the military’s commitment to strengthening partnerships with the Chad Basin National Park and other stakeholders. He noted that the evolving security environment requires closer cooperation, especially in tackling threats in ungoverned forest spaces.
The Theatre Commander highlighted the role of park authorities and forest guards in biodiversity conservation, environmental security, and community development. He urged effective monitoring and utilisation of park areas to support tourism while denying criminal elements safe havens.
Abubakar also assured the park management of continued military support, including capacity-building initiatives to improve operational effectiveness.
In a related development, the Deputy Head of Office of UN OCHA Nigeria, Patricia Mucheche, also met with the Theatre Commander and called for enhanced collaboration to improve humanitarian access to vulnerable communities across the North-East.
Mucheche acknowledged the military’s support in facilitating humanitarian operations and said the partnership had been crucial in reaching conflict-affected populations. She appealed for increased access to vulnerable communities and additional security support for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), particularly during ongoing resettlement efforts and the approaching rainy season.
Responding, the Theatre Commander described UN OCHA as a reliable partner in OPHK’s non-kinetic operations. He praised the organisation’s contributions in food distribution, nutrition support, gender-based violence prevention, emergency response, disaster management, and family reunification programmes.
According to him, the collaboration has significantly improved the welfare of vulnerable populations, especially through resettlement initiatives that have enabled displaced persons to return to their communities and resume their livelihoods.
Abubakar reiterated OPHK’s commitment to providing a secure environment for humanitarian activities through sustained patrols and counter-improvised explosive device (IED) operations aimed at making access routes safer.
The visits featured the signing of visitors’ registers, exchange of souvenirs, and group photographs. Also present were the Deputy Theatre Commander, Air Vice Marshal Olusola Akinboyewa, the Chief of Staff, Headquarters OPHK, Brigadier General Sani Ahmed, component commanders, principal staff officers, and other senior military officials.
