President Bola Ahmed Tinubu says Nigeria will not support the deployment of private military companies in African conflict zones, insisting that such actors undermine the sovereignty of states and complicate efforts to resolve security crises.
Tinubu’s position was delivered on Monday by Vice President Kashim Shettima during the opening plenary on Peace, Security, Governance and Multilateralism at the 7th African Union–European Union Summit in Luanda, Angola.
“We stand resolutely against the use of private military and security companies in African conflicts, as their presence often complicates resolution efforts and undermines state sovereignty,” Shettima said on behalf of the president.
He argued that Africa’s persistent threats—from terrorism to transnational crime—require coordinated responses led by legitimate national institutions, not parallel armed groups operating under vague mandates.
Tinubu’s remarks reaffirmed Nigeria’s long-held approach to regional interventions under ECOWAS and the African Union. He warned that the growing global retreat from multilateralism has created new vulnerabilities for developing regions, even as he commended the EU for maintaining a cooperative engagement framework “anchored on mutual respect and shared aspirations.”
Reiterating Nigeria’s commitment to peace and democratic stability across the continent, the president renewed his call for long-overdue reforms of the United Nations, insisting that African countries must occupy permanent seats on the Security Council.
“It is time for Africa to occupy permanent seats on the UN Security Council, with all attendant privileges, including the veto. Genuine text-based negotiations under the Intergovernmental Negotiations framework must now commence,” he said, urging EU leaders to support Africa’s push.
On regional security successes, Tinubu highlighted Nigeria’s counter-terrorism gains, noting that more than 120,000 Boko Haram-affiliated individuals—including fighters and their families—had surrendered in early 2025. He attributed the progress to both military pressure and non-kinetic measures, including the operations of the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad Basin.
Turning to migration, Tinubu criticised approaches that criminalise mobility, arguing that they worsen insecurity. He called for African-led frameworks that recognise economic and demographic realities while promoting safe, structured migration pathways. He identified Nigeria’s Technical Aid Corps and its growing business-process outsourcing sector as examples of models that can benefit both continents.
Tinubu also urged the EU to work alongside African governments to prevent unconstitutional changes of government, strengthen governance reforms and counter extremist ideologies. Citing the Sudan conflict—which has killed over 40,000 people and displaced more than 12 million—he warned against external interference that worsens internal instability.
The president emphasised that peace and security initiatives in Africa must be co-created with local actors and grounded in African ownership, not externally imposed templates.
The 7th AU–EU Summit, co-chaired by Angola’s President João Lourenço and the President of the European Council, António Costa, brings together leaders from both continents to discuss cooperation on security, migration, trade and governance.