President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) to establish a Combined Maritime Task Force to protect the Gulf of Guinea, offering Lagos as its headquarters. Speaking through Foreign Affairs Minister Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar at the 38th AU Heads of State and Government Session in Addis Ababa, Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s leadership commitment to the initiative.
In a strategic agreement, Defence Minister Badaru Abubakar signed a pact for Nigeria to provide sea lift services for AU peace missions and humanitarian operations, with the Nigerian Navy supplying vessels on a cost-recovery basis. AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security (PAPS), Bankole Adeoye, signed on behalf of the AU.
Meanwhile, Nigeria opposed a proposal to split the AU's Department of Political Affairs, Peace, and Security (PAPS). President Tinubu, through Tuggar, argued that the reconfiguration would cause unnecessary expenses and disrupt peace efforts, emphasizing Nigeria’s support for reforms that drive efficiency without waste.
