Maiduguri: The City I Left 15 Years Ago, and the City I Barely Recognised

• A homecoming that revealed a remarkable story of resilience, reconstruction and renewal

By Ahmad Idris

There are journeys that take you to a place, and there are journeys that take you back in time. My return to Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, after more than 15 years away, was both.

I arrived in Maiduguri on 18 August 2026, excited and full of memories of the city I once knew. But what greeted me was not exactly the Maiduguri I had left behind.

I looked around, and for a moment, I struggled to recognise some of the places I had once known so well.

Maiduguri had changed.

Roads, schools, hospitals, public buildings and other infrastructure projects appeared across different parts of the city and beyond. The scale of development was striking, particularly when viewed against the difficult years the state had experienced.

My return therefore became more than a personal homecoming. It became an opportunity to witness how a city and its people were attempting to rebuild, recover and move forward.

A City Built on History

Maiduguri is not just the capital and largest city of Borno State; it is a city deeply rooted in the history of the Kanem-Borno civilisation.

The modern city emerged prominently in the early 20th century. In 1907, the British established a military and administrative post at the location that became Old Maiduguri. Around the same period, Shehu Abubakar Garbai moved the traditional Kanuri capital from Kukawa to Yerwa, establishing the new seat close to the British post.

Over time, Yerwa and Old Maiduguri grew together, eventually forming the modern metropolis known today as Maiduguri.

The city therefore represents a remarkable intersection of ancient tradition and modern urban development.

Its identity is also shaped by its rich ethnic and cultural diversity. The Kanuri are the dominant ethnic group, while Shuwa Arabs, Hausa, Bura, Marghi, Fulani and other communities have contributed to the social and cultural fabric of the city and the wider state.

Maiduguri’s strategic location also made it an important centre of regional commerce. Its proximity to Niger, Chad and Cameroon historically positioned the city as a hub for cross-border trade involving livestock, leather, gum arabic and other commodities.

It is equally known for its Islamic scholarly tradition and is home to the University of Maiduguri, established in 1975.

From Insurgency to Reconstruction

But Maiduguri’s recent history has not been without pain.

The insurgency that intensified from 2009 profoundly affected Borno State. Communities were displaced, livelihoods were disrupted, businesses were destroyed and thousands of families were forced into internally displaced persons’ camps.

Maiduguri, once known for its relative peace and commercial activity, became a major centre for displaced people fleeing violence from different parts of the state.

The scars of that period remain part of the city’s story.

But so is its recovery.

Walking through Maiduguri today, one cannot ignore the visible signs of reconstruction and renewed investment.

“The City Has Changed”

During my visit, I spoke with my neighbour, Mallam Abubakar, who has remained familiar with developments in the city.

He attributed much of the visible transformation to sustained government investment, particularly under the administration of Governor Babagana Umara Zulum.

According to him, the development drive has extended beyond Maiduguri into rural communities across the state.

He pointed to the construction and rehabilitation of schools, roads, hospitals and other public infrastructure as examples of projects designed to have a direct impact on ordinary citizens.

He particularly highlighted investments in education and healthcare, including the establishment and upgrading of health facilities across the state, as well as higher-education institutions.

Whether one views the transformation through the lens of politics, public policy or post-conflict reconstruction, one thing is difficult to dispute: Borno is attempting to rebuild not only its infrastructure, but also the confidence of its people.

Beyond Buildings: Rebuilding Lives

Perhaps the most important part of Borno’s recovery story is not the buildings themselves.

It is the people.

The insurgency displaced millions of people within Nigeria and pushed others across borders into neighbouring countries, including Cameroon and Chad.

Governor Zulum has repeatedly made the rehabilitation, resettlement and reintegration of displaced people a major component of his administration’s agenda.

During interactions with selected media aides in the governor’s office, officials spoke about efforts to rehabilitate displaced persons and facilitate the return of people who had moved to neighbouring countries.

This is an important dimension of reconstruction.

A new school can be built.

A new hospital can be opened.

A road can be reconstructed.

But the ultimate measure of recovery is whether families can return home, children can return to school, farmers can return to their farms, traders can reopen their businesses and communities can once again live with hope.

The Maiduguri I Left — and the Maiduguri I Found

As I prepared to leave Maiduguri, I kept thinking about the contrast between the city I remembered and the city standing before me.

Fifteen years is a long time.

Cities change. Roads change. Buildings change. People change.

But Maiduguri’s transformation carries a deeper meaning because it comes after years of insecurity, displacement and uncertainty.

For me, returning to Maiduguri was therefore not simply a journey back to a familiar city.

It was a reminder that places can suffer and still rise.

It was a reminder that communities can be tested and still endure.

And above all, it was a reminder that development is most meaningful when it restores dignity, creates opportunity and gives people a reason to believe in tomorrow.

I left Maiduguri more than 15 years ago.

I returned on 18 August 2026 expecting to see a city I remembered.

Instead, I found a city still writing a new chapter of its story.

Maiduguri has changed. And perhaps the most remarkable part of that change is that its people are determined to keep moving forward.

Ahmad Idris was a former Correspondent with Vanguard and News Style Newspaper in Borno State.