Nations must unite to tame Boko Haram, others—Buhari

Says Ending Banditry Is Priority

President Muhammadu Buhari has declared that the only way to conquer Boko Haram, ISIS, Al Qaeda and other forms of conflicts in Africa is for countries to unite and find ways of narrowing the gaps in social and economic opportunities, especially in this digital age, where physical borders no longer exist to protect even the most secured nation.

Buhari, who said cooperation among sovereign nations, was no longer a choice but an absolute necessity, spoke yesterday at the opening of World Economic Forum (WEF) on the Middle East and North Africa, which held at the Dead Sea, with the theme: “Building New Platforms of Cooperation.”

Buhari, while decrying conflicts in Africa, said the deaths, damage and destruction caused by Al Qaeda, ISIS and Boko Haram over the last 10 years would take decades to repair.He said although Nigeria has made significant gains in tackling Boko Haram menace, there was need for nations to address the lack of social and economic inclusion, which he identified as the root cause of many challenges the country was experiencing.

He attributed his government’s significant gains in fighting Boko Haram to Nigeria Army’s recapture of all territories hitherto held by the terrorist group.He also commended countries that have stood with Nigeria to confront the global scourge, especially the Kingdom of Jordan.
He said: “By God’s special grace, today, most of these terrorist organisations have been significantly degraded. The world came together to achieve this. Now, we are faced with the task of rebuilding.”

The President, while calling on leaders to begin work and ensure that African population is productively engaged, stressed the need for Africa and the Middle East to specifically focus on policies that will deliver shared economic prosperity for all its citizens, especially in the areas of trade and investments.

In his welcome remarks, King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein said inclusive growth would be of benefit to the world, especially when it creates enabling environment for youths and women. The United Nations (UN) Secretary General Secretary-General António Guterres said the world would be better off with stronger collaboration.