Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Honourable Yusuf Maitama Tuggar has cautioned great powers not to use Africa as a ground for “political contestation,” warning that Africa needs to learn lesson from Nigeria by devising homegrown solutions to the insecurity and terrorism that plaque the Sahel region.
The minister made the statement in an interview with MSNBC network during his follow-up visit to the United State to strengthen ties as Nigeria moves ahead with its efforts to fight the threat of insecurity in West Africa and beyond.
“we are very wary of Africa becoming the ground for the great power contestation that has been changed from a unipolar to a multi-polar world. This tends to attract contestation by great powers. Our outlook is that of strategic autonomy. We get along with everyone. We also have a history of non-alignment, but we are democratic. We have had several successive elections since 1999. We don’t want to see any private military company or mercenary on our continent,” the minister said.
Following a series of military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Nigeria, there is fear that China and Russia may capitalize on waning French and American influences in the Sahel and establish a military foothold on on the continent. However, the minister stated that Nigeria has a long history of non-alignment foreign policy, and that Nigeria would continue to assert its strategic autonomy in its foreign policy.
The minister also highlighted that Nigeria has been able to defeat terrorism alone with homegrown solutions, and Nigeria still seeks support from the likes of the United States in the areas of economy, security and development and democracy which have become the foreign policy priorities under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Moreover, Honourable Yusuf Maitama Tuggar also called for reforms in the United Council Security Council as African interests need to be protected.
“We need to democratize the very governing organs of the world. Nigeria needs to belong to the G20. There needs to be a reform in the UN Security Council. Nigeria needs to be in that Security Council as a permanent member.” The minister added.
