What President Buhari Said In Turkey About Boko Haram

President Buhari called on the Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit on Saturday in Istanbul to provide concrete assistance in combating terrorism and insurgency on the African continent.

President Muhammadu Buhari stated at the third edition of the Summit that the Boko Haram terrorist group, despite being fragmented by internal strife and degraded by Nigeria’s defense forces, was still active and preying on soft targets.

President Buhari expressed satisfaction that the Summit convened by Turkey’s President Recep Tayip Erdogan addressed the issue of terrorism while also focusing on development and infrastructure in Africa.

Garba Shehu, Buhari’s spokesman, confirmed this in a statement.

“Another area in which this Partnership must focus is the global challenge of climate change, which affects us in Nigeria, Turkey, Africa, and the rest of the world.”

“It has become a catalyst for conflict due to food insecurity, lake drying, loss of livelihood, and youth migration, among other things.”

“The trend is the same all over the world, where communities are being overrun by forest fires, rising sea levels, flood, drought, and desertification.”

“I’d like to take advantage of this opportunity to call for support for initiatives like Africa’s Great Green Wall on Environment and Land Management, which aims to combat the effects of climate change and desertification in Africa.”

“By 2030, the initiative aims to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land in the 11 Sahel-Sahara countries, capture 250 million tons of carbon, and create 10 million green jobs,” he said.

In response to the global coronavirus pandemic, President Buhari urged nations to follow the example of Africa-Turkey cooperation, which emphasizes solidarity and support in addressing the threat.

“The pandemic is a global challenge that necessitates global solidarity and solutions, and the Africa-Turkey cooperation model has served as a model for the rest of the world.”

“There has been mutual support not only to respond to the pandemic, but also to build resilience and sustainable development in other sectors.”

“We also commend the African Union for the excellent role it has played in coordinating the Partnership’s implementation process,” he added.

The Nigerian leader stated that, given the increasingly unpredictable nature of today’s global challenges, world leaders must continue to prioritize humanity’s well-being for the common good and prosperity of all.

“As a result, we must promote science, technology, and innovation, as well as share research and development knowledge, to better equip us to address current and future challenges in a more equitable and sustainable manner.”

“In this regard, Nigeria strongly supports the Summit Declaration as well as the Joint Action Plan 2022-2026,” he said.

President Buhari welcomed the significant increase in trade figures between Africa and Turkey, reaffirming that international trade is a driver of development and long-term economic growth, as well as the global abolition of poverty.

He urged the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AFCTA) to help increase the level of Africa-Turkey trade, resulting in a win-win situation for all countries.

President Buhari, who praised President Erdogan for launching the Turkey-Africa Partnership in 2008, stated:

“Given the level of openness, trust, and commitment manifested in the Africa–Turkey Partnership, we are confident that this cooperation mechanism will be a game-changer for our countries and set us on the path of sustainable development for our peoples,” he said.