President Bola Tinubu has called on the United Nations to adopt a more pragmatic approach in supporting Nigeria’s fight against terrorism due to its extensive impact on global peace, displacement of populations, and the surge in poverty levels.
During a meeting with Vladimir Voronkov, the Under-Secretary-General of the UN Office on Counter-Terrorism at the State House on Thursday, President Tinubu said terrorism has consistently impeded development progress and worsened instability within families and communities in Nigeria and beyond.
“We appreciate all that you have been doing. We know that in the face of many demands and challenges, you can still do much better. We can score you ‘A’ in collaboration but ‘B’ in physical support. You have to do more because terrorism is an effective danger to democracy; terrorism is also an effective danger to development.
“Growth and prosperity cannot be achieved until we banish terrorism. We have to equally look at other sides of the issue, and I have said it is the where, how, and when of terrorism,” said Tinubu.
The President emphasised that achieving global peace and prosperity hinges on swiftly and comprehensively addressing insurgencies in various parts of the world where stability is threatened.
“We must take into account the basic needs of our people. If out of the meagre resources presently available, we have to dip our hands without the steady support from organisations like the UN, then we are in trouble,” Tinubu added.
Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, in his remarks, identified the root causes of the insurgency to include poverty and injustice, adding “Nigeria continues to make significant investments in education and social security.”
While commending Nigeria’s contributions to global counter-terrorism efforts, Voronkov acknowledged Nigeria’s existing framework for prevention, mitigation, and reconciliation. He praised the nation’s efforts in combating terrorism and strengthening its capacity in counter-terrorism activities.
“Of course, terrorism is part of the international agenda, and we had a successful meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, discussing how to enrich our agenda on international terrorism response. I can only mention that politically, and from the point of view of capacity building on activities for counter terrorism, Nigeria is one of the leading partners,” he added.
The UN chief informed President Tinubu of the organisation’s plan to organize a Counter-Terrorism Summit in Abuja in April 2024, emphasizing that the summit would be primarily driven by African nations and aligned with African priorities.
