Vice President Kashim Shettima revealed on Saturday that a post-insurgency assessment in the North-East region indicated that Boko Haram attacks had caused a staggering $9 billion in damages, with Borno State, the epicenter of the insurgency, accounting for losses amounting to $6.8 billion. Shettima, a former governor of Borno State, expressed his concern while speaking in Maiduguri, the state capital, during the launch of palliative distribution by the North East Development Commission (NEDC) to mitigate the impact of fuel subsidy removal in the region.

The NEDC's initiative aimed to alleviate the hardships faced by people in the North-East due to the insurgency. Shettima, who also inaugurated the eighth North-East Governors’ Forum meeting at the Borno State Government House, emphasized that the NEDC was diligently working to rehabilitate and resettle victims of the insurgency. He highlighted the plight of many emirs who had been displaced, left without territories to govern.

Shettima remarked, "A lot of our emirs here were emirs without emirate. Ten years ago, the palace that Governor Babagana Zulum calls home was under the control of Boko Haram. 10 years ago, the hometown of the governor of Yobe State was under the grip of Boko Haram. 10 years ago, a chunk of the North-East was under Boko Haram. Maiduguri was effectively encircled apart from Maiduguri/Kano Road that was sporadically attacked by Boko Haram."

According to the post-insurgency recovery peace-building assessment report of the North-East, which received validation from the World Bank, European Union, and the Presidency, Boko Haram inflicted damages totaling $9 billion in the North-East region, with Borno alone accounting for $6.8 billion in damages. Shettima also drew attention to the economic challenges faced by the region, comparing it unfavorably to neighboring countries Chad and Niger.

However, he commended the efforts of the North-East governors, particularly highlighting the support from PDP Governors of Bauchi and Adamawa states. Addressing rumors surrounding the NEDC's leadership, Shettima clarified that the reappointment of both the Managing Director, Mohammed Goni, and the Chairman, Paul Tarfa, was based on their outstanding performance. He noted that they had left behind an impressive sum of N237 billion, a significant accomplishment in Nigeria's governance history.

Managing Director Mohammed Goni emphasized the commission's commitment to addressing hunger in the 110 Local Government Areas within the region. He announced a significant donation of food and non-food items valued at approximately N15 billion, to be distributed through the Vice President to state governors, senatorial districts, federal constituencies, and state Houses of Assembly across the region.

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