President Muhammadu Buhari has called on the Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit to provide concrete support to help defeat terrorism and insurgency in Africa.
Garba Shehu, the president’s chief special assistant on media and publicity, said in a statement that the Nigerian leader made the call at the third edition of the Summit held in Istanbul, Turkey, on Saturday.
According to the president, the terrorist group Boko Haram, although fragmented by infighting and degraded by Nigerian defense forces, is still active and preying on soft targets.
He expressed satisfaction that the Summit convened by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey paid due attention to the issue of terrorism, while also focusing on development and infrastructure in Africa.
” Another area this partnership needs to focus on is the global challenge of climate change that is affecting us in Nigeria, Turkey, across Africa, and indeed around the world.
” It has become a catalyst for conflict through food insecurity, drying up of lakes; loss of livelihoods and migration of young people, among others.
” The trend is the same around the world, where communities are overwhelmed by wildfires, rising sea levels, floods, drought and desertification.
” I want to take this opportunity to ask for support for initiatives like Africa’s Great Green Wall on Environment and Land Management, which is designed to combat 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 belt, capture 250 million tons of carbon and create 10 million green jobs by 2030,” he said.
COVID-19
On the global coronavirus pandemic, Buhari urged nations to follow the example of Africa-Turkey cooperation, which emphasizes solidarity and support to meet the challenge.
” The pandemic is a global challenge that demands solidarity and global solutions, and the Africa-Turkey cooperation model has proven to be an example for the world.
ALSO READ: I will return to the farm after my mandate – Buhari
” There has not only been mutual support to respond to the pandemic, but also mutual support to build resilience and sustainable development in other sectors.
“We also congratulate the African Union for the excellent role it has played in coordinating the implementation process of the Association,” he said.
Mr. Buhari noted that in view of the increasingly unpredictable nature of contemporary global challenges facing humanity, world leaders must continue to put the well-being of humanity at the center of the agenda for the common good and prosperity. of all.
” Therefore, we must promote science, technology and innovation and share research and development knowledge to better prepare ourselves to address present and future challenges in a more equitable and sustainable way.
“In this regard, Nigeria strongly supports the Summit Declaration as well as the Joint Plan of Action 2022-2026,” he said.
While reaffirming that international trade is an engine for sustained economic growth and development, as well as global poverty eradication, the Nigerian leader welcomed the significant increase in trade figures between Africa and Turkey.
He urged the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AFCTA) to help further increase the level of Africa-Turkey trade, leading to mutual benefit for all countries.
Buhari, who applauded Erdogan for starting the Turkey-Africa Partnership since 2008, said: “We are confident that, given the level of openness, trust and commitment manifested in the Africa-Turkey Partnership, this cooperation mechanism will change the rules of the game. for our countries and set us on the path of sustainable development for our peoples. ”
(YAYA)