Insecurity in Nigeria and the Sahel area, according to President Muhammadu Buhari, is primarily caused by the instability in Libya.
On Tuesday, as he accepted the letters of credence from the ambassadors of Mexico and Canada, Juan Alfred Miranda Oritz and James Kingston Christoff, respectively, and the high commissioner of Canada to Nigeria, James Kingston Christoff, Buhari praised international cooperation for its success in addressing global and domestic security issues, particularly those related to terrorism, banditry, and insurgency.
According to a statement from his spokesperson, Femi Adesina, the President informed the diplomats that more could be done to combat insecurity notwithstanding the progress that has already been made through cross-border cooperation in doing so.
“The destructive effect of global insecurity, climate change and the post COVID-19 age has decimated global economies. Nations are still having trouble recovering from these numerous global problems.
“The progress that nations have made in addressing food security over the past ten years has been eroded by the protracted conflict between Russia and Ukraine. While Libya’s political unrest continues to support terrorism in the Sahel and undermine democratic development in West and Central Africa regions.
“Nigeria is not left out of the equation because we are fighting to free our nation of insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, and the herder/farmer dilemma. To maintain these struggles till we overcome these obstacles, we are, nonetheless, making significant progress with the help of friendly nations like yours,” he was quoted as adding.
At the regional level, according to President Buhari, Nigeria has been collaborating with other ECOWAS members and other regional groups to combat issues like terrorism, transnational crime, maritime crimes like piracy and illegal fishing in our waters, illegal drug and human trafficking, banditry, as well as unconstitutional change of government.