Nigeria, France to collaborate on fight against terrorism

Nigeria and France will continue to deepen the robust diplomatic, economic and military relationships between the two countries, even as they indicate their readiness to explore new ways to confront and defeat terrorism ideologies.

This was the highlight of the bilateral meeting between Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and French Prime Minister, Mr. Bernard Cazeneuve, in Paris after Osinbajo attended the just concluded global forum on Anti-Corruption and Integrity hosted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

While recalling the tremendous progress made by Nigeria in degrading Boko Haram and suppressing insurgency in the country, Osinbajo stressed that the need to break the ideological underpinnings of terrorism had become imperative.

“One thing left for us to deal with is de-radicalisation, defeating the ‘ideology’ behind the mindless killings and violence. This is what we have to deal with now,” he said.

Osinbajo observed that there was the view that some of the issues involved in the fuelling of terrorism were governance related, adding that “it goes beyond the political and economic to the ideological, and we are now focusing on the challenge, and how to deal with it.”

In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande yesterday, Osinbajo stated that the Federal Government would be happy to work with France and other diplomatic partners who may have to deal with such problems as the challenge of de-radicalisation.

He conveyed through the warm greetings of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration the Prime Minister to the French President, Francois Hollande, noting France commitment and support for Nigeria’s fight against Boko Haram, including military purchases and contributions against terrorism in the entire Sahel region.