President Muhammadu Buhari has urged the Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit to provide tangible support to Africa’s fight against terrorism and insurgency.
The Nigerian leader made the call, according to Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, at the third edition of the Summit on Saturday in Istanbul, Turkey.
According to the president, the Boko Haram terrorist group is still active and preying on sof targets, despite being fractured by internal struggle and decimated by Nigeria’s defense forces.
He expressed his joy that the Summit held by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed the issue of terrorism while simultaneously focusing on Africa’s development and infrastructure.
‘‘It has become a catalyst for conflict through food insecurity, drying up of lakes; loss of livelihood and youth migration, among others.
‘‘The trend is the same around the world where communities are overwhelmed by forest fires, rising sea levels, flood, drought and desertification.
‘‘I want to seize this opportunity to appeal for support for initiatives such as Africa’s Great Green Wall on Environment and Land Management, which is designed to fight the effects of climate change and desertification in Africa.
‘‘The initiative aims to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land in the 11 countries of the Sahel-Sahara strip, capture 250 million tons of carbon and, create 10 million green jobs by 2030,’’ he said.
On Covid 19
Mr Buhari urged nations to follow the example of Africa-Turkey collaboration in combating the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, which emphasizes unity and support.
“The pandemic is a global problem that necessitates global cooperation and solutions, and the Africa-Turkey cooperation approach has proven to be a model for the rest of the globe.”
‘‘Not only has there been mutual support to respond to the pandemic but also mutual support to build resilience and sustainable development in other sectors.
‘‘We also commend the African Union for the excellent role it has been playing in coordinating the implementation process of the Partnership,’’ he said.
Mr Buhari noted that in view of the increasingly unpredictable nature of contemporary global challenges facing mankind, world leaders must continue to put the wellbeing of humanity at the centre of the agenda for the common good and prosperity of all.
‘‘We must therefore promote science, technology and innovation and share knowledge from research and development to better equip us to address present and future challenges in a more equitable and sustainable manner.
‘‘In this regard, Nigeria strongly endorses the Summit Declaration as well as the 2022-2026 Joint Action Plan,’’ he said.
He urged the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AFCTA) to help boost trade between Africa and Turkey, resulting in a win-win situation for all parties.
“We are confident that given the level of openness, trust, and commitment manifested in the Africa–Turkey Partnership, this cooperation mechanism will be a game-changer for our countries and set us on the path of sustainable development for our peoples,” Mr Buhari said, praising Mr Erdogan for initiating the Turkey-Africa Partnership in 2008.
Credit: News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)