President Muhammadu Buhari has disclosed that the resolution of conflict situations in African countries remains a key component in the overall development of the continent.
A statement by president’s special adviser on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, read that Buhari made this disclosure at the opening session of the ongoing Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development in Africa, in Egypt.
The statement read: “As Africans it is important to focus on the issues of conflict prevention and resolution. Conflicts have devastating effects on our societies and they militate against our progress. In this regard, the need to silence the guns cannot be overemphasized.
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“Africa should embark on the provision of transport connectivity by enhancing the development of roads, rail, and air links which will ease the free movement of persons, goods and services within the continent.
“In this regard, we in Nigeria have already commenced an aggressive drive to upgrade our rail transport system and road networks across the country. We should furthermore promote free trade within and amongst Africa and Africans especially now that we have launched the African Free Trade Area Agreement.
”Nigeria is not only host to our sub regional body ECOWAS but has also been supporting substantially the ECOWAS budget up to about 60 percent. Nigeria has been funding by almost a 100 percent the operations of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) fighting Boko Haram Terrorists in the Lake Chad Basin.
“The issue of climate change should be given the due attention that it deserves. The effects of Climate Change are at the root of some of the conflicts in parts of the continent.
“This is why we must focus on the issue of the recharging of the Lake Chad which used to provide livelihood to over forty million people in the region. It is difficult to expect durable stability in the region without restoration of the shrinking lake.”