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Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations has assured ECOWAS member states that the country will overcome its insurgency challenges, saying broader solutions beyond military force are needed to resolve “generational grievances.”
Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim gave the assurance while hosting Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives of ECOWAS member states to the UN at Nigeria House in New York.
“Nigeria will surmount insurgency. We survived a Civil War from 1967 to 1970 and fought Boko Haram. We will overcome our problems,” Ibrahim said.
He described the region’s security challenges as “generational grievances” requiring broader solutions beyond military force.
“These are not issues we can resolve with missiles alone. Generational grievances demand wider thinking and deeper engagement,” Ibrahim said.
According to the envoy, excessive reliance on military operations has slowed the resolution of insurgencies across parts of West Africa.
“Most insurgencies in West Africa persist because we rely mainly on kinetic approaches instead of combining them with non-kinetic solutions,” he said.
Ibrahim said President Bola Tinubu is pursuing comprehensive measures to address insecurity while strengthening democratic governance.
“Fortunately, we have a liberal democrat leading a liberal democracy. President Tinubu believes every issue should be discussed before decisions are taken,” he said.
Ibrahim stressed the importance of collaboration among West African nations in addressing security and development challenges.
“Let’s work together. No country can do it alone. Even America still seeks collaboration and partnership,” he said.
He urged ECOWAS countries to strengthen consultation and cooperation for regional peace, stability and prosperity.
The ambassador said the United Nations itself was founded on cooperation, collective responsibility and international partnership.
He also advocated stronger economic integration, including discussions on regional financial institutions and monetary cooperation.
Responding, Sierra Leone’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Michael Kanu, described Ibrahim’s arrival as timely for Africa, saying his appointment would strengthen Africa’s influence within the UN system.
Kanu noted that Nigeria had consistently provided leadership on major international issues affecting Africa.
“In the African Group, Nigeria’s voice has often been the collective voice,” he said.
Kanu also congratulated Ibrahim on his recent election as Chairman of the United Nations Fifth Committee, one of the organisation’s most influential bodies responsible for administrative and budgetary matters.
“That committee is among the most strategic in the United Nations system. Nigeria, West Africa and Africa will be represented at the table with both competence and conviction,” he said.
