President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asserted that terrorist networks despise Nigeria for upholding tolerance rather than embracing tyranny, noting that the nation’s bitter experience with violence has proven that conflicts rarely end where they begin.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, representing President Tinubu at the 80th Session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York, delivered Nigeria’s national statement on Wednesday.
Addressing world leaders, Shettima explained that extremists across different regions aim to sow hatred and division.
“We are despised by terrorists because we choose tolerance over tyranny. Their ambition is to divide us and to poison our humanity with a toxic rhetoric of hate,” he said.
The Vice President emphasized that Nigeria’s rejection of violence was guided not only by international law but also by its painful history of insurgency.
“Our difference is the distance between shadow and light, between despair and hope, between the ruin of anarchy and the promise of order. We do not only fight wars, we feed and shelter the innocent victims of war,” he added.
On the long-standing conflict in the Middle East, Nigeria reiterated support for a two-state solution, describing it as the most honorable and lasting path to peace.
“We say without stuttering and without doubt, that a two-state solution remains the most dignified path to lasting peace for the people of Palestine. The people of Palestine are not collateral damage in a civilisation searching for order. They are human beings, equal in worth, entitled to the same freedoms and dignities that the rest of us take for granted,” Shettima declared.
Shifting focus to Nigeria’s internal reforms, Shettima highlighted the sacrifices required to secure peace.
“The price of peace is eternal vigilance. We in Nigeria are already familiar with such difficult choices: infrastructure renewal or defence platforms? Schools or tanks? Our view is that the path to sustainable peace lies in growth and prosperity,” he said.
He stated that the Federal Government had initiated structural reforms to stabilize the economy, including removing subsidies and easing currency controls that previously favored only a minority.
Shettima also referenced the success of the inaugural West Africa Economic Summit held in Abuja, which exceeded expectations by showcasing the potential of innovation to drive regional prosperity.
Tinubu, through his representative, urged the UN to redirect scarce resources to critical global challenges such as climate change, warning that environmental crises have direct security consequences for migration and stability.
okay.ng reports that the 80th UN General Assembly, which began on September 9, will run until September 28. Nigeria is expected to unveil its new climate commitments under the Paris Agreement, while also engaging in bilateral talks, side events, and global roundtables.
