The European Union (EU) ambassador to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Gautier Mignot, on Wednesday affirmed that Nigeria has the bloc’s support in its fight against insecurity and in funding peace-building initiatives across the country.
News360 Info reports that Mignot made this claim in Abuja during an end-of-year media briefing on the EU’s engagements and achievements in Nigeria.
According to Mignot, attention has been very much on insecurity in recent times, which he noted has been for good reasons.
He said, “But there are others like poverty and social inequalities. We have also been insisting very much on the need to urgently tackle, with humanitarian and life-saving assistance, the malnutrition crisis affecting, particularly, hundreds of thousands of children in north-west and north-east.
“Protecting all populations, and in particular minorities and IDPs, is particularly essential. This is what we have done in particular after the Yelwata killing in Benue state in June.
“In the north, we have launched a northern package of some €300 million of Team Europe funding.
“The EU stands with the populations affected by a humanitarian crisis, particularly children and women in the north-west and north-east.
“While the EU may not fill the vacuum left by those who have withdrawn, Nigeria can count on us as its reliable partners for all time. This year alone, we have committed nearly €50 million in humanitarian assistance to address the problem of malnutrition.”
Speaking with TheCable on the sidelines of the event, Mignot said it is essential to recognise that Nigeria’s insecurity is a complex challenge with many drivers.
He said, “Religion is one, but it’s not the only one.
“Of course, freedom of religion is a key principle; it must be respected. But there are many other drivers for insecurity and violence in Nigeria.
“What the EU has been doing already for many years, with their member states, is to support Nigeria, both to face insecurity with kinetic and non-kinetic measures and also to address root causes of insecurity, and the 300 million euro package of projects that we have launched this year in the north in particular is a response to this.”
The envoy empathised with the abducted pupils of St Mary School in Niger state and their families, alongside victims of recent attacks and abductions across the country.
Mignot said the EU is ready to enhance its support by planning to hold its first peace, security and defence dialogue with Nigeria early next year. He added that the talks could unlock new funding.
