The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has affirmed that the Armed Forces of Nigeria play a pivotal role in maintaining peace, stability, and social cohesion in West Africa. He stated this during a courtesy call by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Gwabin Musa, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Abuja.
He further stated that the partnership between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) has become imperative given President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda foreign policy doctrine anchored on the 4 Ds strategic pillars of Democracy, Development, Demography, and Diaspora.
In his response, the CDS commended the Foreign Affairs minister for providing practical foreign policy directives for the nation since his assumption in office and assured the foreign affairs ministry of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) ‘s readiness to partner with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the country’s outward-facing entity in discharging its mandate.
The CDS also used the occasion to restate the AFN’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property in Nigeria, the Lake Chad region, and the entire West African subregion.