Foreign Affairs Minister Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu has urged African nations and international partners to aggressively target illicit financial flows, identifying easy access to funds as a primary catalyst for rising terrorism across the continent.
Speaking on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, during the 1354th virtual ministerial meeting of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council, Odumegwu-Ojukwu warned that unmonitored financial streams enable violent extremist groups to recruit youth and acquire advanced weaponry.
“A major obstacle to any progress being made in the fight against terrorism in Africa is access to illicit funds,” Odumegwu-Ojukwu said. “We call on the PSC to stress the need for stronger international cooperation in preventing, tracing, recovering, and returning proceeds of illicit financial flows from safe havens to countries of origin.”
The foreign minister noted that terrorist organizations on the continent are demonstrating heightened resilience against traditional military operations. She highlighted that these groups are increasingly acquiring commercially available technologies—such as drones and digital platforms—while funding their networks through ransom payouts from kidnappings and illegal mining.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu also pointed out that the spread of violent extremism in West Africa has been used by military actors to justify unconstitutional takeovers of democratically elected governments.
To turn the tide, Nigeria called on AU member states to move beyond rhetoric and fully execute the counter-terrorism commitments agreed upon at the 2022 Malabo Extraordinary Summit and the 2024 High-Level African Counter-Terrorism Meeting in Abuja.
Call for Global Responsibility and Zero Tolerance
The minister cautioned against labeling Africa as the global epicenter of terrorism, warning that such framing leads to the discriminatory profiling and mistreatment of innocent Africans at international transit points.
Addressing global partners directly, Odumegwu-Ojukwu advocated for a zero-tolerance stance on terrorism regardless of motive. She urged weapons-producing nations to enforce stricter controls on non-state actors acquiring arms, commercial drones, and dual-use technologies manufactured within their borders.
Nigeria’s Dual Approach to Security
Outlining Nigeria’s internal strategies, the minister emphasized a combined kinetic and non-kinetic framework. She reported that sustained operations have significantly degraded the capabilities of Boko Haram and ISWAP, restoring government authority to several impacted communities.
Beyond military intervention, Nigeria’s strategy includes:
- Financial Tracking: Intensified investigations to dismantle terror financing networks.
- Reintegration: Active deradicalization and rehabilitation programs for repentant ex-combatants.
- Socio-Economic Investments: Scaling up funds for education, local infrastructure, youth empowerment, and community resilience.
- Regional Collaboration: Enhancing intelligence-sharing and border security via the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) and the ECOWAS Early Warning and Response Network.
The 1354th AU Peace and Security Council session was chaired by Haruna Kasolo, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uganda and Chairperson of the council for July 2026.
