
Victoria Uwonkunda speaks to Nigeria’s Information Minister after deadly militant attacks
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Victoria Owahunda
Hello, I'm Victoria Owahunda, BBC presenter, and this is the interview from the BBC World. The best conversations coming out of the BBC people shaping our world from all over the world. If you're not a little bit afraid,
Mohammed Idris
then you're not paying attention.
BBC Interviewer
We have never seen a people so united. Do not make that boat crossing. Do not make that journey.
Mohammed Idris
Being born in America, feeling American, having
Victoria Owahunda
people treat me like I'm not.
Mohammed Idris
We're more popular than populism.
Victoria Owahunda
For this interview, I met Mohammed Idris, Nigeria's Information Minister, while he was on a visit to London. Nigeria is Africa's most populous country and one of its largest economies. But it's also grappling with deep challenges, from a rise in deadly militant attacks to the question of how to create opportunities for a young and fast growing population. In recent years, more and more young professionals have been leaving Nigeria, heading abroad in search of better opportunities. Concerns have been raised about a growing brain drain and whether the country is losing the very people it needs to build its future.
Mohammed Idris
The reform agenda of Mr. President is copying this issue of brain drain. The medical industrialization pursued by the health sector. For example, in the past, all the pharmaceutical pharmaceutical companies just import their products into Nigeria. But now we have a stronger policy that will compel them to also set up these manufacturing plants in Nigeria so that they can create jobs for our young men and women to participate in that sector. And I think once industrialization takes hold, it will be necessary that we have people staying more at home than going out of the country. And indeed you see young Nigerian people working in the fine tech and making waves around the world. So I believe that with industrialization, with emphasis being put in setting up more factories in Nigeria, more Nigerian young men and women will be there. And those who have traveled outside this country may find it necessary to come back.
Victoria Owahunda
Welcome to the interview from the BBC World Service with Mohammed Idris.
BBC Interviewer
From your government's point of view, where are the main challenges? If you could just pick out three of the main challenges where President Tinubu and his government of which you're part of are working to make sure that you reach those goals, that you make life better for Nigerians.
Mohammed Idris
First and foremost is to ensure that we return security to our country. Of course, this didn't start with the administration. It's nearly two decades old that we have criminal elements wreaking havoc on some communities and also bringing succor to people using these reforms. Because if you look at what the tension that exists between farmers and herders that in turn create this kind of problem, these are all being eased. President Bola Ahmed Chidubu has for the first time in our history created the Ministry of Livestock Development, for example is a multi trillion naira sector that has been untapped and is working assiduously to ensure that this helps in easing some of these pressures and the economy. Agriculture, for example, is also being worked on. Government is spending a lot of money to reposition that sector. Dry season farming is also being encouraged. A lot of farming inputs and implements, tractors and other implements that are required to make agriculture really, very, very attractive. And you know, because that's the main driver of our economy anyway. So government is putting a lot of money and paying a lot of attention in that direction.
BBC Interviewer
Let's take security. It's a huge sadly issue for Nigeria and Nigeria, especially in the north, in the northeast, as you mentioned, it's been ongo especially with Boko Haram, the militants group, since 2009 I believe. So it's quite a long time. We've just seen yet another attack in Maiduguri on Monday. 23 people, hundreds cause of others injured. What is your government doing to make sure that Nigerians go to sleep, that they can break their fast knowingly, that they are not going to be attacked, that they're not going to lose their limbs or lives, that mothers can know that their children are coming home?
Mohammed Idris
Well, it's a sad one. First, my heart goes out to those who lost loved ones and those who are injured. It's Really a very bad sin for our country. But if you know Maiduguri very well, you know that we have managed to have peace in that part of the country over the years, that we were really not taken aback that this has happened at this time. Meduguri used to be a bit, you know, problematic security wise, you know, years ago. But government has been able to stabilize that city and that part of the country. When this was reported, President Mbola Ahmed Tunubu directed all the service chiefs to move to Maiduguli. All the security agents are paying renewed attention in that area. And just before that, the president spent approved large sums of money for the purchase of weapons that can be used to fight these violent extremists. We know that there are also the other part of it, religious extremists who are using the porous nature of our borders and the problem in the Sahel creating this tension. But security is not just a one country issue. It's actually, it has no borders. I mean, violent extremism has no borders.
BBC Interviewer
Rightly so. You say that the attacks and insurgency by Boko Haram had kind of diminished since 2015. So much work had been put. But you also say that you were taken aback by this attack when 23 people lost their lives in Maiduguri. Did the intelligence services of Nigeria fail?
Mohammed Idris
Well, I don't think they failed. I think that more work need to be done. If, you know, Maiduguri. Maiduguri has largely become very, very peaceful. They know the eastern part of the country. Once upon a time, they still managed
BBC Interviewer
to come to the post office. They still managed to come to the market. Open air when people are breaking that.
Mohammed Idris
It's so unfortunate that that has happened. But indeed, Nigerian security agencies are walking around the clock to ensure that this does not happen again. I mean, we don't want to see people being attacked. We don't want to see people, you know, denied sleep as a result of the activities of these criminals and religious extremists. That, you know, intelligence sharing is key in the fight against terrorism and this kind of criminal, you know, insurgency. And so we need to fight and work together. So Nigeria will work with our regional partners, will work with others to bring peace to our, to not just Nigeria, but the entire region.
BBC Interviewer
Speaking of these partnerships that you have, especially with the United States, we saw President Trump saying that he was sending in some help, some military help. Talk us through about what that looks like. What is it that the Nigerian government, the Nigerians that you are looking for from the Americans, how can they help the country the government fight all these insurgencies.
Mohammed Idris
I think they are already doing that. You recall that four or five weeks before now, the American government, in partnership, of course, with Nigerian authorities, sent in some personnel, some military personnel with some intelligence sharing capability and with some expertise and some technical equipment to help us to locate where this, these criminals are so that we can fight them. But this has been led by the Nigerian security agencies. It's not as if the American government is just coming to do this on its own. It's a partnership that we are forging. And Nigeria is open. We have always said that it's open to that kind of partnership, not just with the us, with the uk, but anybody that can provide help. Terrorism everywhere means that there is no safety anywhere. So we need to work together to ensure that we rid our community, our country, our region and the entire world of this criminality.
BBC Interviewer
Concretely, what is it that the Americans have offered Nigeria?
Mohammed Idris
First, they are helping us in intelligence gathering, improving our intelligence capability to get some of this intelligence on the activities and movement of this, of these criminals. They are also helping us to get some military equipment that will help us to locate and track down these terrorists so that they don't create havoc in our soil. And I think broadly these are some of those things that we are doing together.
BBC Interviewer
Is there any worry from your government or from yourself, Mr. Minister, that the language that is coming from the Trump administration, especially President Trump, saying that Christians are the ones who are targeted constantly, when data has shown that it's basically all Nigerians who live in the north and the Northeast, is there a worry that this could be enticing in a way that it could just divide Nigerians even?
Mohammed Idris
Furthermore, we are encouraged to leave this rhetoric behind and forge this even more partnership with the United States of America. The fact that some officials of the US and the Congress and, you know, the US Administration were in Abuja to discuss this with our Nigerian officials, it's an indication that there's a deeper cooperation, deeper partnership that is being forged. We want to say that Nigeria, as we have always said, is a multi faith country. It's a country that, you know, tolerates religious freedom. There is no any official declaration or position on any particular religion in our country. Christians, Muslims and even those who don't believe in anything, you know, are free to live and practice whatever is their fate in our country. In any case, this is enshrined in our constitution. There's nothing anybody can do about it. All the officials, we have Christians, we have Muslims, we have everyone in our government. So we are deemphasizing that because this is exactly where these terrorists want to drive us to. So we need to understand the complexities and the drivers of this conflict. We shouldn't allow them the room to make it look like Nigerians are divided among themselves, Christian, Muslim, and then taking up amongst each other. That is not the case. And we are fighting, you know, common enemy and all of us, you know, have to come together to ensure that we fight them out once and for all.
BBC Interviewer
Have you sent that message back to President Trump and the overall fight that that rhetoric, you don't want. That rhetoric needs to stop.
Mohammed Idris
Well, we don't want to be going forward and back on that. I think what is important is that he sent officials to Nigeria. Some of our officials were in the United States. We want to believe that there is now a deeper understanding by the American government on the complex situation, complex security situation that we face in Nigeria. Foreign.
Victoria Owahunda
You're listening to the interview from the BBC World Service.
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Victoria Owahunda
Mohamed Idris and I meet in a bustling area of the sixth floor of the BBC headquarters in London, where our mics are put in place and we slot into our respective roles a minister and an interviewer. My notebook and pen are the ready A minister and an interviewer. My notebook and pen are the ready, but no water or tea or coffee for either of us because it's Ramadan and we are both fasting. But while I will break my fast at my desk a few floors below. Later that evening, Mr. Idris will be having a royal feast for his Iftar at Windsor palace, hosted by King Charles Charles and his family. More on that later. The thing I quickly noticed when Mr. Idris and I meet is his calm elegance and quiet authority without it being too overwhelming, especially considering his height. A tall, lean man with an easy smile and a firm handshake, he struck me as someone who's learned how to be at ease with himself as well as those in his presence. He observes and he listens. And I was surprised he was one of those politicians not that evasive at answering questions. Like for example, when I asked him point blank if his government and security forces had failed to stop the attack by Boko Haram militants. Okay, let's return to my conversation with Mohamed Idris.
BBC Interviewer
Let's pivot and look at what is happening now in the Middle East. The Iran war. Nigeria is a very big oil producer on the continent, believe is the biggest, and we are seeing oil prices go up. How much of what is happening in the Middle east as we speak to you now, Mr. Minister, is going to affect Nigeria and the Nigerian economy?
Mohammed Idris
Well, we as Nigerians, we are always desirous of joining hands with people all over the world, the economies all over the world, to ensure energy security for not just for Nigeria, but for the world. What is happening in Iran, you know, I think is heating up the economy, so to say, and it's creating some shocks within the economies, not just that of Nigeria, but around the world, as we can see. But what we are praying for and, and hoping for and preaching for is that we should have de escalation in the conflict in the region. Diplomacy should take root. We believe that dialogue is the best answer to any kind of situation we find ourselves. But Nigeria will always play its part to ensure that there's energy security for people around the world. That is what we are committed to.
BBC Interviewer
But as an oil producing country, you will think if it's not going well for somebody, we've got something. Are you having those kind of conversations of how you can help push some of your oil to the rest of the world?
Mohammed Idris
Nigeria is ever ready to contribute to energy security around the world. Whatever Nigeria can do to help ease tension, Nigeria will of course do that. But I think the best will be to have de escalation and to have dialogue take center stage in order to ensure that energy security is further guaranteed for everyone around the world.
BBC Interviewer
But what are you putting in place to make sure that you can mitigate the hits that Nigerians might meet if this war carries on?
Mohammed Idris
For furthermore, as you know that our domestic refining capacity has improved significantly, meaning that we can we refine more oil than we used to with the private sector participation, especially with Dangote refinery now fully operational and other modular refineries around the country that are also upcoming. And of course some are on their way to also being established. So because of the policy that we have put in place to encourage the private sector to improve our domestic refining capacity, you know, our position in terms of oil production and storage is a lot better. And that certainly will help in mitigating whatever problem that we have. We no longer need to import all the fuel that we used to have now to have this so Nigeria can produce oil. But beyond that we are also exporting and we will continue to do that to mitigate this where necessary. We don't want to be seen as a country that has taken advantage of anything. But what is important is that we will continue to contribute our quota, continue to play our part to ensure stability not just in terms of oil prices, but also economic stability for everyone globally. I think we have that responsibility to do that. Nigeria will certainly play its part in
BBC Interviewer
these domestic refinery oil capacities that you said have been developed and continue to develop. How much of that is also being put into looking at the oil and fuel theft? Because it happens quite a lot, which is quite a huge loss in terms of the Nigerian economy.
Mohammed Idris
Well, Nigerian government has been fighting that over time and we have seen significant improvement since the administration of President Mbola Ahmed Chinubu. It's not yet completely solved, but I think we have seen, you know, remarkable improvement in the way our oil oil threat is being copped. You know, especially in the Niger Delta region. I think the coming on board of these private refineries is also helping to ensure that this happens. I think the theft has been significantly reduced, is still there, but we work even further to ensure that Nigeria's oil is not taken away by any criminal to be sold somewhere.
BBC Interviewer
Nigerians often talk about the issue of brain drain, especially in sectors like it, health nurses and doctors and tech. What is it that the Nigerian government of which you're part of can do to make sure that less people find it worth staying home for and do instead of going further ashore to look for greener pastures?
Mohammed Idris
I Think it's already happening. The reform agenda of Mr. President is copying this issue of brain drain. The medical industrialization pursued by the health sector. For example, in the past, all the pharmaceutical companies just import their products into Nigeria. But now we have a stronger policy that will compel them to also set up these manufacturing plants in Nigeria so that it can create jobs for our people, provide more opportunities for our young men and women to participate in in that sector. And then I think once industrialization takes hold, it would be necessary that we have people staying more at home than going out of the country. Already government is working on electricity, which is a major component of industrialization. Only recently the president has milled the idea of setting up a company to, you know, to work in the, you know, in the electricity sector to ensure that we have better electricity for our people because this is absolutely necessary for you to industrialize. And President Bola Ahmed Chinubu, having fixed the economy, you know, in the way Amana he has done, having also, you know, working hard to ensure that security, security for everyone. The next phase is industrialization. And this is where we are going. This certainly will help to curb Brain brain and attract more people to come to Nigeria. And indeed, you know, you see young Nigerian people working in the fine tech and making waves around the world here in the UK as well. So I believe that with industrialization, with emphasis being put in setting up more factories in Nigeria, more Nigerian young men and women will be there. And those who have traveled outside this country may find it necessary to come back. We're already seeing that in the health sector.
BBC Interviewer
You paint a wonderful picture of what you're doing, what you're wanting to achieve. And I hope that Nigerians be young and old looking and hearing you will think, well, we have gotten somewhere. Would that be your assessment that they will be thinking this government has done better than the others that have come before you?
Mohammed Idris
Obviously. So I think that they know that already. And there is this expectation that, you know, President Bola Ahmed is going to do even a lot more to make Nigerians better. Prosperity is what the president has promised Nigerians when he took office. And I think Nigeria is on a march towards that prosperity that the president promised. We are on our way there and we'll get there.
BBC Interviewer
And you're sure that he can win another term if and when those promises are fulfilled, that the Nigerians will give him yet again the trust to lead them?
Mohammed Idris
Well, if you have a good football team that is winning, I mean, nobody will want to, which you don't, because
BBC Interviewer
you're not going to the World Cup. Sorry to bring that up.
Mohammed Idris
Yeah, yeah. But you know, we believe that, that we have a team that is working hard. We have a government that is delivering on its promises to its people. We are absolutely confident that Nigerians will renew President Mbola Ahmed's mandate because he has done so much in about three years, less than three years now, he's going to do even more when his time is renewed. We are very hopeful.
Victoria Owahunda
Thank you for listening to the interview. You'll find more in depth conversations on the interview wherever you get your BBC podcasts, including episodes with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United nations, plus many more. Until next time, bye for now.
BBC Interviewer
Foreign.
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Podcast Summary: The Interview – Mohammed Idris, Nigeria’s Information Minister: Stopping Militant Attacks
BBC World Service | Aired: March 29, 2026
In this episode of The Interview, BBC presenter Victoria Owahunda sits down with Mohammed Idris, Nigeria's Information Minister, during his visit to London. Together, they address some of Nigeria’s most urgent challenges: the ongoing threat of militant attacks—particularly by Boko Haram—the country's security strategies, the effects of international events like the Middle East crisis on Nigeria’s oil economy, and efforts to curb brain drain by creating opportunities for the nation’s youth. Throughout, Idris offers candid reflections on the government’s achievements and struggles, the delicate balance of religion in politics, and Nigeria’s partnership with the international community.
Collaboration with the United States:
Concerns about Divisive Rhetoric:
On Brain Drain & Industrialization:
“We have a stronger policy that will compel them to also set up these manufacturing plants in Nigeria so that it can create jobs for our people, provide more opportunities for our young men and women to participate in in that sector.” — Mohammed Idris (21:39)
On Security & Intelligence:
“Intelligence sharing is key in the fight against terrorism and this kind of criminal… insurgency. So Nigeria will work with our regional partners, with others to bring peace not just to Nigeria, but the entire region.” — Mohammed Idris (08:13)
On Religious Unity:
“Nigeria has always said, is a multi faith country… Christians, Muslims, and even those who don't believe in anything… are free to live and practice whatever is their fate in our country… We are deemphasizing [divisive rhetoric] because this is exactly where these terrorists want to drive us.” — Mohammed Idris (11:18)
On Middle East Crisis & Oil:
“We believe that dialogue is the best answer to any kind of situation we find ourselves… Nigeria will always play its part to ensure that there's energy security for people around the world.” — Mohammed Idris (16:55)
On Election Prospects:
“If you have a good football team that is winning… We are absolutely confident that Nigerians will renew President Mbola Ahmed's mandate.” — Mohammed Idris (24:46)
Throughout the conversation, both presenter and minister remain cordial and direct, with Victoria Owahunda’s probing journalistic approach met by Mohammed Idris’s measured candor and confidence. Idris resists simplistic answers, especially on sensitive themes like religious division and intelligence failures, and pivots firmly toward unity, reform, and optimism for the country’s future.
This episode provides a frank look at Nigeria’s security struggles, economic ambitions, and the government’s strategic plans—set against a backdrop of global instability. Idris presents the Tiunbu administration as proactive, transparent, and open to both international collaboration and scrutiny. The conversation leaves listeners with insight into not just Nigeria’s challenges, but the mindset of its current leadership and the policy pathways they are determined to pursue.