Alamein:Nigeria has urged for increased collaboration among the founding states of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and encouraged conflicting African nations to pursue dialogue to maintain peace across the continent.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu’s appeal was conveyed in Nigeria’s National Statement during the NEPAD Founding Member States’ Summit held in Alamein, Egypt. The statement was delivered by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Sola Enikanolaiye, who represented the president at the summit.
The summit, hosted by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, celebrated the 25th anniversary of NEPAD, originally established by five African founding states. In his address, President Tinubu highlighted the anniversary as an occasion to both celebrate NEPAD’s successes and recommit to Africa’s development. He emphasized the continuing relevance of NEPAD‚¬Å¡¬‚¬Å¾¢s founding principle that Africa’s development must not be outsourced, especially amid current geopolitical tensions, climate change, and challenging global financing conditions.
Tinubu outlined five strategic priorities for the founding states: accelerating the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), closing Africa’s infrastructure gap, strengthening development financing, investing in education and skills, and promoting peace, security, and good governance.
Addressing rising tensions, President Tinubu made a strong plea for African leaders to foster peace and prevent conflicts, specifically referencing the situation between Ethiopia and Eritrea. He underlined the importance of a peaceful society for economic prosperity and called for measures such as intelligence-sharing, improved border management, and operationalizing the Africa Standby Force.
Furthermore, Nigeria endorsed the Summit Declaration and expressed its commitment to establishing a structured cooperation mechanism with fellow founding states on various issues, including trade, infrastructure, energy, food security, and peace. This mechanism is intended to complement the efforts of AUDA-NEPAD and the African Union.