Nigeria’s Tuggar Presses for Multilateral Reforms During EU-AU Dialogue

Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, has called for a renewed global commitment to multilateralism and a deeper examination of the complex challenges threatening global peace and governance.

Tuggar made this call during the European Union–African Union Ministerial Follow-Up Committee meeting and the 3rd EU–AU Ministerial Meeting held in Brussels, according to a statement by his Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy, Alkasim Abdulkadir.

The minister commended the EU’s consistent support for African-led initiatives, noting that such partnerships have contributed meaningfully to addressing pressing issues on the continent.

“In discussing peace, security, and governance, it is imperative that we, as representatives of African nations, not only highlight progress but also acknowledge outstanding challenges—challenges that only closer cooperation can effectively address,” Tuggar said.

He identified persistent issues such as the proliferation of small arms, climate change, violent extremism, irregular migration, fragile democratic institutions, and unequal access to technology, trade, and markets as central concerns that require collective action.

While praising past efforts, Tuggar urged his counterparts to move beyond symbolic commitments and engage in genuine, solutions-oriented dialogue.

“At this point, we typically nod and pledge further collective action, and while there have been notable successes, we must ask ourselves if we are focusing too much on the symptoms of conflict, rather than the root causes,” he noted.

Tuggar expressed concern about the fragility of the current multilateral framework, citing the growing influence of non-state actors, disinformation, and unregulated digital currencies as emerging threats to global stability.

He reaffirmed Nigeria’s strong belief in multilateralism and the value of strategic partnerships, pointing to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Nigeria’s investment in the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the economic potential of ECOWAS’ free movement protocols as promising avenues for Africa’s development.

“Multilateral institutions must evolve to remain effective,” Tuggar said, reiterating Nigeria’s long-standing calls for comprehensive United Nations reform, fairer global trade systems, and equitable market access.

Addressing internal challenges in Africa, he emphasized the pressure on governments to meet rising public expectations amid limited resources and shrinking trust in democratic processes.

“The global democratic crisis is not unique to Africa,” he said. “We must recognize the fears driving political instability and learn from both our setbacks and the responses to them elsewhere.”

Tuggar also criticized global double standards in addressing disinformation and hate speech, noting a disparity in responses between Africa and Western nations.

“We were told online hate speech in Africa was the price of freedom. But when it occurs here, arrests swiftly follow,” he remarked. “The truth is not a supermarket—to be picked or discarded according to taste.”