Nigeria has called on African leaders to take urgent steps to prevent emerging military conflicts across the continent, warning that lasting economic development will remain difficult without peace and regional stability.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu made the appeal in a message delivered by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, at the NEPAD Founding Member States’ Summit in Alamein, Egypt, over the weekend.
The summit, hosted by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, was held to mark the 25th anniversary of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, NEPAD.
Against the backdrop of growing military tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea, Tinubu urged African leaders to act quickly to prevent the situation from escalating into open conflict. He called on regional heads of state to encourage countries facing heightened tensions to step back from confrontation and return to diplomatic negotiations.
The President also pointed to violent extremism, terrorism and political instability as major obstacles to Africa’s social and economic progress. He called for stronger intelligence sharing between countries and urged leaders to move faster on the operationalisation of the Africa Standby Force.
Tinubu said Africa has the policies and institutions needed to advance its development, but stressed that stronger political commitment is required to turn those plans into measurable results. He cited the African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA, as an important framework that needs effective implementation across the continent.
Nigeria therefore presented a five point agenda for the founding members of NEPAD. The proposals include full implementation of the AfCFTA, improving trade through strategic cross border corridors, increasing the mobilisation of African domestic capital and development finance, investing in young people through vocational education and technology, and strengthening governance and security cooperation across national borders.
Tinubu also reaffirmed Nigeria’s support for the Summit Declaration and backed the creation of a structured cooperation platform among NEPAD founding states.
The proposed mechanism would work alongside the African Union Development Agency, AUDA NEPAD, with the broader goal of improving coordination among member states and advancing Africa’s development priorities.
