Terror financing biggest threat to Africa’s security, FG tells AU

The Federal Government of Nigeria has called on the African Union (AU) to intensify efforts to block illicit financial flows sustaining terrorist groups across the continent, warning that access to illegal funds remains one of the biggest obstacles to defeating terrorism and violent extremism in Africa.

Speaking at the 1354th Meeting of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union at the ministerial level held virtually on Tuesday, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, said terrorist organisations were increasingly relying on illicit financing to recruit fighters, acquire sophisticated weapons and sustain their operations.

The position was contained in a statement signed by Dr Magnus Eze, Special Assistant on Communication and New Media, Office of the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abuja.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu urged the AU Peace and Security Council to prioritise stronger international cooperation in preventing, tracing, recovering and returning proceeds of illicit financial flows to countries of origin.

“A major obstacle to any progress being made in the fight against terrorism in Africa is access to illicit funds. It facilitates the recruitment of youths and the procurement of lethal weapons by terrorist groups. We call on the PSC to stress the need for stronger international cooperation in preventing, tracing, recovering and returning proceeds of illicit financial flows from safe havens to countries of origin,” she said.

The minister warned that terrorist groups across Africa were becoming more resilient despite sustained military operations, noting that they were increasingly deploying commercially available technologies, including drones, while exploiting kidnapping for ransom and illegal mining of precious minerals to finance their activities.

She said Nigeria condemned all acts of terrorism and violent extremism, expressed solidarity with victims across the continent and commended the sacrifices of African armed forces confronting terrorist groups.

According to her, the spread of terrorism and violent extremism in West Africa has also been exploited as justification for unconstitutional military takeovers in some countries, underscoring the need for coordinated continental action.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu called on African leaders to move beyond declarations by implementing commitments made at the 2022 Malabo Extraordinary Summit on Counter-Terrorism and the High-Level African Counter-Terrorism Meeting held in Abuja in 2024.

She also cautioned against portraying Africa as the global epicentre of terrorism, saying such narratives could lead to the profiling and unfair treatment of innocent Africans at international airports and other destinations.

Highlighting Nigeria’s counter-terrorism strategy, the minister said the country had adopted a combination of military and non-military measures that had significantly degraded the operational capacity of Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), while restoring government authority in many previously affected communities.

She said Nigeria was targeting terrorist financiers, deradicalising and reintegrating repentant fighters, investing in education, infrastructure and youth empowerment, and engaging traditional rulers, religious leaders, women and young people to prevent radicalisation.

The minister reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to regional partnerships, saying the country was working closely with neighbouring states through the ECOWAS Regional Counter-Terrorism Strategy, the Early Warning and Response Network, intelligence sharing and coordinated border security operations.

She described the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) as a continental model for regional cooperation against terrorism.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu also endorsed stronger intelligence sharing among AU member states, disruption of terrorist financing networks, enhancement of the Continental Early Warning System, improved cybersecurity and the development of continental guidelines for the responsible and ethical use of artificial intelligence in preventing and combating terrorism.

She further urged international partners to adopt zero tolerance for terrorism by preventing non-state actors from acquiring arms, drones, dual-use technologies and other sophisticated weapons manufactured within their territories, while taking decisive action against illicit arms trafficking that fuels terrorist activities across Africa.

The meeting was chaired by Uganda’s Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Haruna Kasolo, who serves as Chairperson of the AU Peace and Security Council for July 2026.