Nigeria has urged the African Union (AU) to intensify efforts to disrupt illicit financial flows that continue to fund terrorism and violent extremism across the continent.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, made the call during a virtual ministerial meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council, warning that illegal funding has strengthened terrorist groups and enhanced their ability to withstand military operations.
In a statement issued by her media aide, Magnus Eze, the minister said terrorist organisations rely on proceeds from criminal activities to recruit young people, acquire sophisticated weapons and expand their operations.
“A major obstacle to progress in the fight against terrorism in Africa is access to illicit funds,” she said.
“It facilitates the recruitment of youths and the procurement of lethal weapons by terrorist groups. We call on the Peace and Security Council to strengthen international cooperation in preventing, tracing, recovering and returning proceeds of illicit financial flows from safe havens to their countries of origin.”
Odumegwu-Ojukwu noted that terrorist groups are increasingly exploiting commercially available technologies, including drones and advanced digital platforms, while financing their operations through kidnapping for ransom, illegal mining and other criminal enterprises.
She reaffirmed Nigeria’s condemnation of terrorism and violent extremism and expressed solidarity with victims across Africa, stressing that the continent’s greatest challenge is restricting the operational capacity of extremist groups.
The minister also urged international partners to adopt a zero-tolerance approach by preventing non-state actors from accessing arms, ammunition, drones, dual-use technologies and other sophisticated weapons produced within their jurisdictions.
She cautioned against portraying Africa as the global epicentre of terrorism, warning that such narratives could encourage the unfair profiling and mistreatment of innocent Africans at airports and international border points.
Highlighting Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts, Odumegwu-Ojukwu said the country has combined military and non-military approaches that have significantly weakened the operational capabilities of Boko Haram and ISWAP, while restoring government control in many previously affected communities.
She added that the Federal Government is intensifying efforts to identify and prosecute terrorist financiers, implement deradicalisation, rehabilitation and reintegration programmes for repentant fighters, and invest in education, infrastructure, youth empowerment and community resilience to address the root causes of extremism.
According to the minister, Nigeria is also strengthening regional cooperation by working closely with neighbouring countries and advancing the implementation of the ECOWAS Counterterrorism Strategy.
She said the country supports enhanced intelligence sharing, the disruption of terrorist financing networks, improved early warning systems, stronger cybersecurity measures and the development of continental guidelines for the responsible use of artificial intelligence in counterterrorism operations.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu further described Nigeria’s continued support for the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) as a model of effective regional collaboration in the fight against terrorism across Africa.
