Tinubu urges UN to be practical in supporting Nigeria’s fight against terrorism

President Bola Tinubu has called on the United Nations to be more practical in supporting Nigeria’s fight against terrorism.

Tinubu made the call during a meeting with the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Office on Counter-Terrorism, Vladimir Voronkov, at the State House on Thursday.

The president said that terrorism has had a ripple effect on global peace, the displacement of people, and rising poverty.

According to Tinubu, terrorism had consistently reversed the gains in development and increased instability in families and communities, but UN cooperation in dealing with it had always been inconsistent in the context of the developing world.

“We appreciate all that you have been doing. We know that in the face of many demands and challenges, you can still do much better. We can score you ‘A’ in collaboration but ‘B’ in physical support. You have to do more because terrorism is an effective danger to democracy; terrorism is also an effective danger to development,” Tinubu said.

He also stated that growth and prosperity cannot be achieved until terrorism is banished, adding that there is a need to look at the “where, how, and when” of terrorism in order to develop effective solutions.

Tinubu added that going forward, global peace and prosperity would demand the swift and comprehensive provision of the right answers to the challenge posed by insurgencies in parts of the world, which threaten universal stability.

“We must take into account the basic needs of our people. If out of the meagre resources presently available, we have to dip our hands without the steady support from organisations like the UN, then we are in trouble,” the President added.

In his address, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, pointed out the factors contributing to insurgency, such as poverty and injustice, and noted that Nigeria is making significant investments in education and social security in order to address the root causes of terrorism.

The Under-Secretary-General, commended Nigeria’s contributions towards global counter-terrorism efforts, stating that the country already has a framework for prevention, mitigation, and reconciliation and that the country has taken significant steps to tackle terrorism.

“Of course, terrorism is part of the international agenda, and we had a successful meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, discussing how to enrich our agenda on international terrorism response,” Voronkov said.

“I can only mention that politically, and from the point of view of capacity building on activities for counterterrorism, Nigeria is one of the leading partners.”

Voronkov also informed Tinubu about the UN’s plans to host a Counter-Terrorism Summit in Abuja in April 2024, primarily driven by African nations with a focus on the African agenda.