President Muhammadu Buhari has stressed the need for African governments to renew their social compact with the citizenry to improve governance, development and build institutions that promote inclusive security and prosperity.
He gave the admonition on Thursday at the 5th Conference of the Network of African Parliamentarians for Defence and Security Committees of the House of Representatives.
Represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the President said his administration wants to ensure that no segment of the Nigerian population feels alienated and marginalised.
According to him, mobilising the full spectrum of national assets also means engaging the broad expanse of our societies.
The President stated: “We recognise that having large segments of our population feeling alienated and marginalized is a critical vulnerability.
“The challenge then is for us to develop measures through policy and legislation that create an umbrella of human security over our people and thereby prevent the forces of destabilization from weaponising the frustrations of the marginalised.
“In doing this, we will also ensure that the human and material resources that we should be deploying for growth and development are not consumed in conflict.”
Buhari noted that the conference was timely as he urged African governments to have more strategic collaboration to tackle existential threats across the continent.
While pointing out efforts by his administration to address security challenges, he reminded the lawmakers that they have a crucial role in leading domestic advocacy for vital security partnerships in their respective countries.
President Buhari added: “Governments across the continent are dealing with multiple threats ranging from terrorism and piracy to transnational organised crime and insurrectionary challenges to the very legitimacy of our nations.
“As part of our efforts in responding, we have prioritised our commitment to the constitutional imperative of guaranteeing the security and the welfare of the people. We have embarked upon an ambitious programme of reforming critical law enforcement institutions while sustaining consistently increased investment in our defence and security sectors.
“However, we recognise that the threats we face in this borderless age are often both local and transnational. We recognize that an insurrection or conflict in one country can spread like an infection across borders to destabilise neighbours and create even greater threats that jeopardise regional security and stability.
“This is why strategic multi-dimensional partnerships are essential to guaranteeing the peace, stability and prosperity of our nations and our continent.
“The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) is the most recent manifestation of our resolve to open our borders, increase intra-African trade and grow the continent’s economy. It has long been established that deepening the trade links between our nations would serve as a propulsive engine for driving Africa’s growth.
“But these objectives would be undermined by unchecked destabilisation and insecurity. In the light of this, it is clear that this Network has a key role to play in securing our collective prosperity.”
The conference brings together lawmakers from across Africa, as well as representatives of the African Union (AU), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the European Union (EU) to exchange ideas, share experiences and deliberate on common approaches to addressing threats to the continent’s collective security.
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Buhari wants African leaders to renew social relations with citizens
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