ABUJA — Nigeria has called on the African Union (AU) to intensify efforts to curb illicit financial flows fueling terrorism and violent extremism across the continent, warning that such funding remains a major driver of insecurity.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, made the appeal during the 1354th Ministerial Meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council held virtually.
Her position was contained in a statement issued by her Special Assistant on Communication and New Media, Dr. Magnus Eze.
“Illicit financial flows remain one of the greatest obstacles to defeating terrorism in Africa,” Odumegwu-Ojukwu said, noting that such funds enable terrorist groups to recruit vulnerable youths and acquire sophisticated weapons.
She urged the AU and member states to strengthen international cooperation in tracking, recovering and repatriating illicit funds, stressing the need to deny terrorist groups access to financial resources and safe havens.
The minister warned that terrorist organisations are increasingly adapting to conventional military pressure by leveraging modern technologies, including drones and digital platforms, while also generating revenue through kidnapping and illegal mining.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu condemned acts of terrorism across Africa and expressed solidarity with victims, while paying tribute to security forces engaged in counter-terrorism operations.
She also cautioned that the spread of terrorism in parts of West Africa has been exploited to justify unconstitutional changes of government, calling for urgent implementation of commitments made at previous AU counter-terrorism summits.
The minister further warned against labeling Africa as the global epicentre of terrorism, saying such narratives could lead to unfair profiling of Africans internationally.
Highlighting Nigeria’s strategy, she said the country combines military operations with non-kinetic measures such as deradicalisation, rehabilitation and youth empowerment programmes.
She added that Nigeria is collaborating with regional partners through frameworks such as the ECOWAS Regional Counter-Terrorism Strategy and the Multinational Joint Task Force.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu also advocated stronger intelligence sharing, enhanced cybersecurity, tighter border controls and the development of guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence in counter-terrorism.
The meeting, chaired by Uganda’s Acting Foreign Affairs Minister, Haruna Kasolo, focused on strengthening Africa’s collective response to terrorism and improving regional security cooperation.
