Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, a Nigerian advocate of good governance and social reform, has cautioned the United States President Donald Trump against heeding suggestions to establish a US military base in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria, describing such a proposal as a threat to the nation’s sovereignty and economic stability.
Ajadi’s warning followed a post by US foreign policy expert Dr Walid Phares, who on Sunday advised Donald Trump to create an “emergency base” in Port Harcourt — which he described as “the main port city of the Biafra region” — to help deter Boko Haram and other jihadist groups in Nigeria, while providing rapid humanitarian assistance.
Phares, who serves as Co-Secretary General of the Transatlantic Parliamentary Group, wrote on his X handle that such a base would “enable the rapid deployment of international humanitarian aid, particularly assistance from American churches,” and could involve “targeted strikes against jihadist forces” if the Nigerian government fails to stop them.
Reacting to the proposal, Ambassador Ajadi said while foreign assistance in combating insecurity may be welcome, Nigeria must reject any move that undermines its sovereignty or exploits its natural resources.
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“The US government’s support in helping Nigeria fight insecurity is a welcome idea.
“But I must strongly warn that Nigeria should not allow any foreign power to establish a military base within our oil-rich regions. They must not tamper with our natural resources or cross the boundaries of our sovereignty,” Ajadi said.
The social advocate, who contested in the 2023 general elections under the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), expressed concern that Port Harcourt, located in the Niger Delta, remains one of Nigeria’s most vital economic hubs and should not host any foreign military installation.
“The Port Harcourt area is one of our key economic lifelines, rich in crude oil and gas. Allowing foreign troops there under the pretext of fighting terrorism could open the door to exploitation. If assistance is truly humanitarian, it should be directed to states like Borno, Plateau, Benue, Kwara, and others suffering from insurgency and violent attacks — not our oil-producing regions,” Ajadi emphasised.
Ajadi further appealed to Donald Trump to approach Nigeria’s security challenges through peaceful and diplomatic means, not through strategies that may resemble interventions seen in Libya, Iraq, or Syria — nations that remain unstable years after foreign involvement.
“President Trump should assist Nigeria in promoting peace and restoring stability. But he must not repeat the kind of interventions that devastated countries like Libya and Iraq, where economic recovery remains elusive.”
He urged the Nigerian government to handle any prospective foreign security collaboration transparently and strategically, ensuring that national interest is not sacrificed for temporary relief.
“We must learn from history. Africa has suffered from interventions that promised peace but left nations divided. Nigeria must not repeat that mistake,” Ajadi cautioned.
As Nigeria continues to grapple with terrorism, kidnapping, and banditry across several regions, Ajadi reiterated the need to strengthen the country’s internal security capacity, advocating investment in local defence systems, community policing, and inter-state collaboration.
“Foreign support can only complement what we build from within. Nigeria’s security must be home-grown, people-driven, and guided by our national interest,” he reiterated.
