Nigeria’s Ministers of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar and Bello Muhammed Matawalle, has met with Ambassadors from the African Union Peace and Security Council led by the Ambassador of Gambia to the African Union and Jainaba Jagne ,the Chairperson of AU Peace and Security Council for the month of April, 2024.
They met at the Ministry of Defence Headquarters, Ship House, Abuja where the Ministers reiterated Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to regional security cooperation.
According to the Defence Minister, “Nigeria will contribute to the proposed African Standby Force and that we are open to all possible collaborations with the African Union to ensure the security of Africa.”
Speaking on the just concluded Counter-terrorism Summit, Badaru said that Nigeria will abide with the resolution reached that would enhance the regional fight against terrorism and other criminalities.
He said: “Though it is still on paper, but I believe all council members are enthusiastic about the deliberation and on our part, we will work hard to contribute our best to see that our partnership on conflict resolution works.”
On her part, Jainaba Jagne commended the Nigerian Government for the hospitality and commitment to advancing the goals of the African Union.
She said: “Today’s meeting underscores the importance of multilateral cooperation in addressing the common threats facing our continent. Nigeria’s leadership in this regard is commendable, and we look forward to continued collaboration towards a safer and more secure Africa.”
According to a statement on the meeting by the Ministry’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Henshaw Ogubike, “the meeting involved robust discussions on conflict resolution aimed at fostering closer collaboration among African nations in the fight against terrorism and are expected to inform future initiatives aimed at strengthening regional security mechanisms and enhancing the effectiveness of counter-terrorism efforts across Africa.”