President Bola Tinubu has warned that the United States and other countries are not safe as long as terrorists continue to find sanctuary in Nigeria.
“No country can claim lasting safety while the forces capable of destabilising it retain sanctuary, resources and recruits elsewhere,” said Mr Tinubu on Thursday.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima represented Mr Tinubu at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
“None of us can pretend that conflicts within our borders or in lands far beyond them do not exact a price from us. Such is the reach of our interdependence. Such is the urgency of this session’s sacred duty to restore trust in the international institutions we established to reconcile our differences and advance our common interests,” he said.
He stressed that no nation, however formidable its defences, could fully protect itself from threats originating beyond its borders.
“Terrorism, organised crime, cyberattacks and illicit finance exploit the gaps between our national responses, drawing strength from the divisions that weaken collective action. Nigeria’s prolonged struggle against Boko Haram, ISWAP and other armed groups has taught us that military victories require enduring foundations in education, economic opportunity, accountable governance and communities whose rights and dignity are protected,” he added.
Mr Tinubu urged world leaders to return to the founding principles of dialogue, mutual respect and collective responsibility.
“Nigeria stands by the Charter and its promise of a world in which diplomacy prevails over coercion, cooperation over isolation and international law over the arbitrary exercise of power,” he noted.
He called for at least two permanent seats for Africa, with all the rights and responsibilities of permanent membership, including veto power for as long as it exists, as well as five non-permanent seats.
He noted that his country is ready to assume greater responsibility, based on obligations honoured and sacrifices made over decades in the service of peace from Liberia and Sierra Leone to Darfur, Mali and The Gambia.
“We have committed personnel and resources when international solidarity requires action. Through ECOWAS, the African Union and our Gulf of Guinea partnerships, we continue to advance mediation, democratic governance, counter-terrorism and maritime security,” Mr Tinubu said.