Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to promoting peace, security, democratic governance and sustainable development across Africa through closer collaboration with the African Union (AU).
In a statement by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, made the commitment during a meeting with the African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Bankole Adeoye, on the sidelines of the African Union Executive Council Meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
During the meeting, Ambassador Adeoye praised Nigeria’s outstanding contributions to the African Union Peace and Security Council over the past twenty-two years, describing the country as a leading force in advancing Africa’s peace and security agenda.
“I urged Nigeria to sustain its leadership role within the continental body and continue supporting initiatives focused on conflict prevention, democratic governance and institutional development across Africa,“ he said.
The Commissioner highlighted ongoing efforts to strengthen Africa’s peace and security architecture through the African Union Peace Fund, the Peace, Security and Development Nexus, and the proposed African Institute for Democratic Governance, which aims to build the capacity of young African diplomats through collaboration among diplomatic academies across the continent.
Discussions also centred on the evolving security situation in the Sahel, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Sudan, as well as preparations for the forthcoming Extraordinary Session of the African Union Assembly in Angola.
Ambassador Adeoye stressed the importance of Nigeria’s active participation at the summit and encouraged the country to continue providing leadership in mediation, conflict prevention and regional diplomacy.
In her remarks, Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu commended Ambassador Adeoye for his service to the African Union and his continued support for Nigeria, particularly his role in facilitating the European Union’s 21 million dollar support for the Multinational Joint Task Force.
She reaffirmed Nigeria’s readiness to work closely with the African Union in advancing peace, security and democratic governance across the continent.
“Africa must increasingly pursue sustainable development through self-reliance, stronger institutions and strategic partnerships. The era of dependence on external aid is gradually giving way to greater continental ownership of development initiatives,” he said
Both sides further exchanged views on the use of emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, in conflict prevention and peace support operations.
They also discussed the need to strengthen diplomatic capacity across Africa and create more opportunities for qualified Africans, especially young Nigerians, to occupy leadership positions in international organisations.
The meeting ended with both parties reaffirming their commitment to deepening cooperation between Nigeria and the African Union in promoting peace, security, democratic governance, mediation, institutional capacity building and sustainable development in line with the aspirations of Agenda 2063.
