National News

ECOWAS Commission says Fighting Terrorism without Attacking Root Causes Is an Exercise in Futility

Published

3 years ago

November 22, 2021

News Net Global

ECOWAS Commission says Fighting Terrorism without Attacking Root Causes Is an Exercise in Futility

By: Michael Mike, Abuja

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission has said fighting terrorism without attacking the root causes is an exercise in futility.

The Commission, which traced the root causes of terrorism in the West Africa to cases of weak governance, poverty, youth unemployment and human rights abuses, lamented that Boko Haram attacks in the Lake Chad Basin alone in the last 10 years have led to more Han 30,000 deaths, with terrorism displacing over three million people in the region.

Speaking at the launching of the Early Warning Study on the Spillover of Violent Extremism to ECOWAS Coastal Member State in Abuja, the Vice President of ECOWAS Commission, Madam Finda Koroma said: “It would be illusionary to fight against terrorism without attacking its root causes, such as bad or in some cases, weak governance, poverty, youth unemployment and human rights abuses.”

She said data from the ECOWAS Alert and Response Network (ECOWARN) shows terrorist incidents perpetrated by Boko Haram alone resulted in more than 30,000 deaths, in less than 10 years of subversive activities, in addition to the physical attacks on the populations and the territorial integrity of ECOWAS’ s member states.

She lamented that terrorism has unprecedented humanitarian consequences, stating that to date, more than three million people are displaced.

Koroma said: “After North-East of Nigeria, the Lake Chad Basin, the Sahel, the Northern Part of Mali, the threats escalated in the Liptako-Gourma region; made up of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso. From the North of Mali and Burkina Faso Violent Extremist groups conducted years back attacks in the southern Part of these member states.

“Since 2019, the southwestern regions of Burkina Faso have seen an escalation of jihadist presence from JNIM’s Katibat Macina, who are present in the Cascades region and in the forests along the Ivorian border. This explains why Côte d’Ivoire saw a major escalation of violent extremism throughout 2020, including its first jihadist attacks since the 2016 Grand Bassam incident. We all remember the Park W Pendjari abduction in Benin.”

She noted that under the instructions of the Heads of States, the ECOWAS Commission has been working to address this multifaceted issue, with the goal to achieve peace and security in the region.

She disclosed that: “With regard to these root causes in the prevention and the fight against terrorism, the ECOWAS Commission has made the “nexus” between security and development its major area of focus.”

She revealed that various strategies and programmes have been put in place to combat terrorism in the region.

Koroma however said the fight against terrorism does not rest solely on member states or the ECOWAS Commission, and to this end, “in the joint policy statement, the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government have called on the international community, development partners, relevant international organisations and civil society organisations to coordinate their activities with ECOWAS Commission.”

Also speaking at the launching, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama said the impact of the responses on counter-terrorism going on in various areas of operations requires terrorists to find climes where they can retreat and recuperate, noting that ungoverned spaces and places where state presence is weak or absent provide the perfect conditions for such activities.

Also Read: Ritualists killed 11 year old Boy in Bauchi

He said: “All member states affected must therefore put more efforts to eliminate these conditions that facilitate the activities and movements of terrorist groups.”

He stressed that: “It is my view that only concerted regional initiatives such as this can help us to better understand the dynamics of the security challenges facing us and hopefully, we can agree on the best strategy for curbing the menace of terrorism and violent extremism. Without a doubt, terrorism threatens the free movement of persons, goods and services, which represents the core values of our regional integration agenda.”

Onyeama, who was represented by the Director, Africa Multilateral Affairs, Ambassador Ngozi Ukaeje said: “It is evident that the Kinetic approach towards combating terrorism is yielding positive results but that alone cannot provide the total solution. There is a need for more emphasis to be placed on non-kinetic approaches to complement the kinetic approach.”

He noted that: “Nigeria is applying Kinetic measures in the fight against terrorism with intelligence-led operations such as Operation Hadin Kai, Military super camp strategy, integration of Civilian Joint Task Force into the fight against terrorism which have successfully dislodged terrorist strongholds.

“Equally, non-kinetic approaches such as the launching of operation safe corridor which serves as a de-radicalisation, rehabilitation, and reintegration programme for repentant terrorists have yielded positive results. Nigeria has therefore witnessed a lot of progress in this approach which has provided an avenue for hundreds of terrorists to lay down their arms and surrender to our security forces.”

Onyeama also agreed that: “To effectively combat the menace of terrorism and violent extremism, we must also address the root causes of the menace. Social challenges such as poverty, unemployment, inequality can result in the existence of a breeding ground for potential recruitment of affected persons into terrorist folds, if not properly addressed.”

He however assured that “Nigeria will work closely with the ECOWAS Commission to ensure that the actions we shall be taking, in preventing terrorists and violent extremists from crossing our borders into our coastal regions, would not negatively affect the regional economic integration agenda.

The Representative of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), James Aji said the launching of the study is very relevant and timely for the region, adding that: “It comes at a time when there is increasing talk about the reality and impact of the spread of terrorism from the Sahel to coastal states.”

He however raised the alarm that: “If we do not take action swiftly, the spread of terrorism to coastal states could be devastating to the region, especially given the fact that this spread would meet the major security threat of piracy and insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea

He said: “The mix of terrorism and violent extremism as we know it today in the Sahel and maritime insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea would be potentially explosive.”

ECOWAS Commission says Fighting Terrorism without Attacking Root Causes Is an Exercise in Futility

National News

Ogidigben $20 billion Gas Project: Nigeria Receives Investment Commitment from Chinese Firm

Published

10 hours ago

January 22, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Ogidigben $20 billion Gas Project: Nigeria Receives Investment Commitment from Chinese Firm

By: Michael Mike

The federal government has received a commitment from a Chinese firm, China National Chemical Engineering International Corporation Ltd (CNCEC), to support the development of the $20 billion Ogidigben Gas Project in partnership with Nigerian stakeholders in a restructured funding partnership.

The commitment was given to the Director-General of the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership (NCSP) Joseph Tegbe who is presently leading a team to China to market Nigeria and its opportunities for investment.

A press statement on Monday read that Tegbe held strategic sessions with renowned Economist and former World Bank Director Prof Justin Lin Yifu, who pledged support for the NCSP office in areas of policy implementation, reforms, and attraction of Chinese investments.

The Director General delegation was also hosted by China National Chemical Engineering International Corporation Ltd (CNCEC), whose President Li Zhenyi, expressed his company’s commitment to contributing to Nigeria’s economic growth through construction and industrialization specifically their strong desire to support the development of the $20 billion Ogidigben Gas Project in partnership with other Nigerian stakeholders in a restructured funding partnership.

The Director-General acknowledged CNCEC’s technical capabilities and their previous accomplishments; and also reiterated the bold and audacious support of President Bola Tinubu on the major developmental projects across Nigeria as national priority to fast track the nation’s industrialization.

Tegbe’s visit to China was as part of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) projects coordination, and investment drive, and he has continued to have strategic engagement with key Chinese stakeholders to deepen the bilateral cooperation. The visit aimed to review priority FOCAC projects, explore innovative funding options, and attract major Chinese investments into Nigeria.

In Beijing, the Director-General met with representatives from China EXIM Bank and China Development Bank to discuss accelerated delivery of priority projects. The delegation also visited the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) Headquarters, where they toured a 2.5 million eggs-per-day production poultry farm, a visit to the firm aimed at assessing the feasibility of replicating similar projects in Nigeria using innovative funding models, such as the part contractor-financed, BOT, among others as recently adopted in other China financed projects.

During the visit, the delegation moved to Xinjiang where they visited TBEA, the number 1 electricity corporation in China and leading power transmission enterprise. They discussed status of their project and explored investment options and opportunities in mini and microgrid solutions to enhance Nigeria’s power sector.

The delegation’s next stop was at Shanghai where they made a courtesy call to the Nigeria Consulate in Shanghai, engaging in productive discussions about trade and investment opportunities in the region. These conversations focused on facilitating growth in key areas and exploring ways to enhance cooperation between the Consulate’s trade mission and the Director-General’s office.

The delegation thereafter visited the impressive Yangshan Deep-Water Port, also known as Shanghai Port. This massive port is currently the largest in the world, was constructed by China Harbor Engineering company, who also constructed the Lekki Deep Sea Port in Nigeria. The port
boasts an incredible capacity of 51 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). During their visit, the delegation had the opportunity to cross the remarkable 35-kilometre bridge, specifically designed for the evacuation of men and materials from the port. This bridge is a testament to China’s impressive engineering capabilities.

According to the statement, before leaving China, the delegation is expected to engage key players in Chinese economy in Shenzhen, and Guangzhou to facilitate and fast-track FOCAC project implementation through familiarization and feedback sessions with the relevant participating companies.

The statement added that “the ongoing visit is part of the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership’s efforts to strengthen bilateral relations and promote economic cooperation between the two nations, an initiative that aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s vision for Nigeria’s economic growth and development, particularly in areas such as infrastructurb development, technology transfer, and job creation.

Ogidigben $20 billion Gas Project: Nigeria Receives Investment Commitment from Chinese Firm

National News

AT 2025 WEF, VP Shettima Markets Nigeria, Africa As Investment Destination

Published

12 hours ago

January 22, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

AT 2025 WEF, VP Shettima Markets Nigeria, Africa As Investment Destination

** Says Africa Has Indeed Woken Up

By: Our Reporter

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said serious investors can now take unfettered advantage of Nigeria’s growing investment climate to tap from the limitless opportunities in the country and the African continent.

VP Shettima spoke on Tuesday during a forum titled, “Roadmap to Co-create Investment Opportunities for Africa’s Frontier Markets,” at the ongoing annual meeting of the 2025 World Economic Forum ( WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.

At the session which was co-chaired by Mirek Dusek, Managing Director of World Economic Forum, and chaired by Marie-Laure Akin Olugbade, Senior Vice President, African Development Bank (AFDB) group, discussions focused on the Humanitarian and Resilience Investing Roadmap for Africa.

He told the forum that the tales they hear about the country and the African continent as a whole are really not that of doom and gloom as being painted by doomsday proponents.

The Vice President noted that Nigeria is poised to invade the global business platform with modernisation and robust investments, assuring that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a seasoned chartered accountant, is working to make the nation an investment destination in Africa.

“For 20 years, I have been in the Nigerian banking industry. I was a general manager in Nigeria’s largest bank, Zenith Bank. I grew up in that ecosystem. The President himself is a seasoned chartered accountant. So, I believe that Nigeria is ready for business, Nigeria is ready to embrace the path of modernization with very robust investment,” he declared.

Acknowledging however that the nation may still have certain deficits, VP Shettima pointed out that Nigeria is looking up to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to address the challenges.

He stated: “We are having a huge deficit but we are looking forward to the AfCFTA and that involves investing in infrastructure for instance the coastal highway from Calabar to Lagos is the largest single investment in Africa. We are building corridors to the North.

“We have the West African gas pipeline. We are thinking ahead of time akin to the Belt and Road Initiative. We are partnering with 14 African countries to invest in gas infrastructure down to Morocco.”

Senator Shettima insisted that Africa is not all about tales of doom and gloom, maintaining that the continent has woken up from its slumber.

Likening Napoleon Bonaparte’s opinion about China to the case of Africa, the VP said, “So, Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the stories you hear about Africa are not that of doom and gloom. From DRC to Somalia, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Cote d’Ivoire, Africa is waking up from its slumber.

“I remember what Napoleon Bonaparte said about China, he said “China is a sleeping giant but when she wakes up, she will rattle the world”. So, Africa has woken up and we will take our rightful place in the comity of nations because as I said earlier, the trajectory of global growth is facing Africa. We are the youngest continent.”

Also drawing a leaf from the late Nigerian head of state, Gen. Murtala Mohammed, VP Shettima said Africa has come of age and can no longer be treated like an adolescent.

“I want to quote Murtala Mohammed – a Nigerian military leader at an extraordinary summit of the OAU, about 50 years ago. He said “Africa has come of age, it is no longer under the orbit of any extra-continental power, and it shall no longer take orders from any country, however powerful,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, in a show of African leadership collaboration at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Nigeria’s Vice President, Senator Shettima, on Tuesday joined South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, as special guest of honor at a high-level briefing, following his earlier participation in the Africa Investment Forum.

….VP Shettima, Botswana’s President Hold Talks

Meet WTO DG, Okonjo – Iweala

Similarly, Vice President Kashim Shettima and the President of Botswana, Duma Boko, on Tuesday held a bilateral meeting where areas of mutual interest between both countries were discussed.

The meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum 2025 in Davos, Switzerland, is part of Nigeria’s commitment to fostering stronger intra-African relations and economic cooperation.

Both leaders emphasized the importance of leveraging their countries’ strengths to promote mutual growth and development.

The Vice President, who congratulated President Duma Boko on his election victory, called for deeper partnerships and collaborations between African nations, saying it is time Africa united and presented a common front on interests regarding the continent.

During the meeting, Vice President Shettima welcomed the Director General of the World Trade Organisation, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, introducing her to the Botswana President.

The Vice President commended Dr. Okonjo-Iweala’s exceptional achievements, describing her as one of Africa’s finest.

Other areas of interest discussed between the two leaders included trade, investment and strengthening of diplomatic ties.

AT 2025 WEF, VP Shettima Markets Nigeria, Africa As Investment Destination

National News

Niger Tanker Explosion: VP Shettima Expresses Dismay Over Loss Of Lives

Published

2 days ago

January 20, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Niger Tanker Explosion: VP Shettima Expresses Dismay Over Loss Of Lives

By: Our Reporter

Vice President Kashim Shettima has expressed dismay at the devastating tanker explosion that claimed several lives at Dikko Junction in Niger State.

He commiserated with families of the victims, assuring them of the federal government’s commitment to preventing future occurrences.

The Vice President extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, as well as the government and people of Niger State.

The Vice President’s message follows President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s earlier directive for immediate medical assistance to survivors and the implementation of stricter safety protocols along major highways.

The incident, which occurred when a fuel-laden tanker en route from Kaduna to Gwagwalada overturned at Dikko Junction, has prompted the federal government to announce a comprehensive review of transportation safety measures.

The Preident has also tasked the National Orientation Agency with launching an immediate nationwide awareness campaign on the dangers of approaching accident scenes involving fuel tankers.

Niger Tanker Explosion: VP Shettima Expresses Dismay Over Loss Of Lives