Nigeria has called on African leaders to urgently address emerging military tensions across the continent, warning that insecurity and political instability could undermine efforts to achieve sustainable economic development.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu made the call 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, marked the 25th anniversary of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).
Tinubu appealed to African leaders to pursue immediate de-escalation of tensions and encourage countries facing the prospect of armed conflict to return to dialogue and diplomatic negotiations.
He also identified violent extremism, terrorism and political instability as persistent threats to Africa’s socio-economic development.
The President called for stronger cross-border intelligence sharing and the urgent operationalisation of the African Standby Force to enhance the continent’s capacity to respond to emerging security challenges.
Tinubu said Africa’s development must be driven by Africans, noting that the continent already had strategic frameworks, including the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), but needed stronger political commitment to translate them into tangible outcomes.
To accelerate regional integration and development, Nigeria proposed a five-point agenda for NEPAD founding states.
The agenda includes full implementation of the AfCFTA, the development of strategic cross-border trade corridors, mobilisation of domestic African capital and development financing, greater investment in youth, vocational education and technology, as well as stronger governance and security structures across national borders.
The President also reaffirmed Nigeria’s support for the Summit Declaration and backed the creation of a structured cooperation mechanism among NEPAD founding states.
According to him, such a mechanism would complement the work of the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) and strengthen collaboration among the founding countries.
Tinubu stressed that stronger regional cooperation, peace and security were essential to unlocking Africa’s economic potential and advancing the continent’s development objectives.
