Nigeria has called for urgent reforms to Africa’s peace and security system, warning that the spread of terrorism and the growing sophistication of armed groups require stronger continental responses.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, made the call while stressing the need for improved early warning mechanisms, sustainable funding and better coordination between the African Union and regional organisations.
She described the security situation across the continent as troubling, noting that terrorist activities had expanded beyond the Sahel to coastal West African countries, the Lake Chad Basin, the Horn of Africa, the Great Lakes region and northern Mozambique.
According to the minister, terrorist groups are increasingly exploiting drones, illicit financial networks, organised crime and illegal artisanal mining to strengthen their operations and widen their influence.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu acknowledged that the African Union Peace and Security Architecture had recorded notable achievements but warned that persistent implementation gaps continued to weaken its effectiveness.
She said the ongoing forum represented an important step towards implementing African Union Assembly Decision 967, adopted in February 2026, which called for concrete recommendations to strengthen the continent’s peace and security framework by January 2027.
The minister expressed hope that deliberations at the forum would produce practical and achievable recommendations to improve the capacity of Africa’s peace and security institutions to respond to emerging threats.
She emphasised the importance of translating existing commitments into effective action to address the continent’s evolving security challenges.
