By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to promoting peace, security, democratic governance and regional integration across Africa as the Honourable Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, received a high-level delegation of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) in Abuja.
The delegation, led by the Chairperson of the AU Peace and Security Council for June 2026, Ambassador Nasir Aminu, Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the African Union, and the AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs following the conclusion of the Third Annual Joint Consultative Meeting between the AU Peace and Security Council and the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council.
Welcoming the delegation, Ambassador Enikanolaiye thanked the visitors for their goodwill messages on his appointment and reaffirmed Nigeria’s unwavering support for the African Union’s goals of peace, security, democracy, good governance and regional integration.
He described the AU Peace and Security Council as one of Africa’s most important institutions for conflict prevention, peacebuilding and political governance, stressing that Nigeria places high priority on its work. He also commended the growing collaboration between the AU Peace and Security Council and ECOWAS, noting that regular consultations have strengthened coordination between continental and regional institutions in addressing Africa’s evolving security challenges.
The minister reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to supporting initiatives that promote greater cooperation between the African Union, Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and Regional Mechanisms.
Speaking on the continent’s security landscape, Enikanolaiye noted that Africa continues to grapple with terrorism, violent extremism, transnational organized crime, unconstitutional changes of government and humanitarian crises. He called for stronger cooperation among African institutions, improved governance and more effective conflict prevention and peacebuilding mechanisms.
The minister also condemned the recent xenophobic attacks against African nationals in South Africa, particularly Nigerians, describing the incidents as unacceptable and contrary to the ideals of African unity and solidarity.
He disclosed that, on the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Federal Government had evacuated affected Nigerians from South Africa through government-funded repatriation flights to ensure their safe return.
According to him, Africans should feel safe anywhere on the continent, urging the African Union to prioritize the issue within its peace and security agenda. He also advocated the implementation of the AU’s vision of free movement of persons while encouraging member states to address migration challenges through inclusive governance, economic development and expanded opportunities for citizens.
On peace financing, the minister reiterated Nigeria’s long-standing position that Africa must develop sustainable, predictable and innovative funding mechanisms for its peace and security architecture.
He argued that overdependence on external funding weakens African ownership of peace support operations and pointed to the ECOWAS Community Levy as a successful model that could be adapted at the continental level.
He also reaffirmed Nigeria’s support for the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2719 (2023) on financing African Union-led peace support operations while urging African countries to increase their financial contributions.
Earlier, Ambassador Nasir Aminu briefed the minister on the outcome of the Third Annual Joint Consultative Meeting, saying participants reviewed emerging security threats across Africa, assessed ongoing peace initiatives and explored practical measures to strengthen cooperation between continental and regional institutions.
He added that the meeting also focused on sustainable financing for peace support operations and the implementation of Resolution 2719.
Speaking on behalf of the African Union Commission, Ambassador Bankole Adeoye commended Nigeria’s consistent leadership in advancing peace, stability and regional integration across the continent.
He praised Nigeria’s active role within the Peace and Security Council and reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to working closely with member states, ECOWAS and other Regional Economic Communities to tackle Africa’s growing security challenges.
Adeoye also stressed the need for increased domestic financing, stronger institutional coordination and greater political commitment by African countries to strengthen ownership of peace operations. He welcomed Nigeria’s continued support for conflict prevention, democratic governance and the implementation of the AU’s Agenda on Silencing the Guns.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to advancing peace, security, democratic governance and sustainable development across Africa through closer cooperation between the African Union, ECOWAS and member states, while agreeing to sustain regular consultations to address emerging security challenges across the continent.
