Nigeria calls for Japan’s cooperation in tackling insecurity in Africa
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has called for international cooperation in addressing the growing security threats in Africa, emphasizing the negative impact these challenges have on the continent’s development.
The Minister made these remarks at the Ministerial Meeting of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) held from August 24 to 25, 2024, in Tokyo, Japan.
Ambassador Tuggar highlighted the increasingly complex nature of Africa’s security landscape, citing terrorism and transnational organized crimes as key threats destabilizing the continent’s peace and security.
He argued that these challenges undermine efforts towards democracy and good governance, discourage foreign investment, and hinder economic growth in Africa.
Despite these challenges, the Minister expressed Africa’s commitment to leveraging TICAD’s multidimensional approaches to address the underlying causes of security issues. He pointed out several contributing factors to the continent’s security challenges, including the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, the presence of foreign mercenaries, the impact of climate change, and safe havens facilitating illicit financial flows.
Ambassador Tuggar noted that Africa loses an estimated $88.6 billion annually to illicit financial flows, representing about 3% of the continent’s GDP.
Ambassador Tuggar also raised concerns about the activities of cryptocurrency pirates, which he said undermine macroeconomic reforms by destabilizing local currencies. He attributed the rising trend of unconstitutional changes of government in Africa to these external threats and suggested that they might also be contributing to a decline in Japanese investment on the continent.
He urged Japan not to retreat from Africa but to collaborate with African leaders and other development partners to address these pressing security challenges.
Ambassador Tuggar called for comprehensive support from Japan and other international partners to achieve the global goal of a stable and developed Africa. He specifically highlighted the need for increased assistance in the Lake Chad region, the Great Lakes, the Sahel, Sudan, Somalia, and other areas currently facing severe security issues.
The Minister proposed that the upcoming TICAD 9 Summit should prioritize strategic infrastructure development, foreign direct investment, capacity building, and technology transfer to foster indigenous entrepreneurship and innovation. He also stressed the importance of empowering women and youth across Africa.
In concluding, Ambassador Tuggar called on Japan to support Africa’s push for reform of the United Nations Security Council to ensure fair and equitable representation for the continent. He argued that Africa deserves two seats in both the permanent and non-permanent categories, in line with the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration, asserting that this change is both ethically just and necessary for a balanced global governance structure.
