Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to promoting peace, security, democratic governance and sustainable development across Africa through closer collaboration with the African Union (AU).
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, gave the assurance during a bilateral meeting with the African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, on the sidelines of the African Union Executive Council Meeting.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Adeoye praised Nigeria’s significant contributions to the African Union Peace and Security Council over the past 22 years, describing the country as a driving force in advancing Africa’s peace and security agenda.
He urged Nigeria to sustain its leadership within the African Union by supporting initiatives focused on conflict prevention, democratic governance and institutional reforms across the continent.
The AU Commissioner also highlighted ongoing efforts to strengthen Africa’s peace 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 Africa.
Discussions at the meeting focused on the security challenges 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 playing a leading role in mediation, conflict prevention and regional diplomacy.
In her remarks, Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu commended Ambassador Adeoye for his dedicated service to the African Union and his continued support for Nigeria, particularly his role in facilitating the European Union’s 21 million dollars 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.
The Minister further emphasised that Africa must increasingly pursue sustainable development through self-reliance, stronger institutions and strategic partnerships, noting that the continent is gradually moving away from dependence on external aid towards greater ownership of its development agenda.
Both sides also discussed the growing role of emerging technologies, especially Artificial Intelligence, in conflict prevention and peace support operations, the need to strengthen diplomatic capacity across Africa, and strategies for positioning more qualified Africans, particularly young Nigerians, for leadership positions in international organisations.
The meeting concluded 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 the realisation of the aspirations of Agenda 2063.
