Tuggar Urges Multilateral Reform Amid Global Fragility

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, has called for renewed commitment to multilateralism and a candid examination of the challenges threatening global peace and governance.

Tuggar made the call at the European Union-African Union Ministerial Follow-Up Committee and the 3rd EU-AU Ministerial Meeting in Brussels, Belgium.

In his statement, Tuggar acknowledged EU’s enduring support for African-led initiatives, stating, “it is at this point, when discussing peace, security and governance, that the foreign minister of a large African country is meant to outline for his hosts the progress we have made in tackling a host of complex issues – and the outstanding challenges that only closer cooperation can resolve.”

The minister outlined a familiar but pressing list of issues, including proliferation of small weapons; climate change; violent extremism; irregular migration; fragility of democracy; technology; and trade and markets.

He challenged the routine nature of such discussions, urging his counterparts to move beyond recitation and towards genuine reflection.

Tuggar stated, “At this point, typically, we all nod and pledge further collective action. And we have indeed seen many positives.”

He said, “But I wonder if perhaps our focus on the symptoms of despair and conflict obscure our vision of the underlying cause and how best we manage the condition.”

Tuggar while pointing to the broader international context, warned about an increasingly fragile global framework.

He said, “We are here today as one of the most prominent expressions of faith in multilateral agencies, a rules-based international order and the search for common solutions to common problems. And yet we know that it is a framework that has never appeared so fragile.”

The minister cited the disruptive roles played by non-state actors, disinformation, and unregulated digital currencies – factors that posed existential risks to nations, rich and poor alike.

Tuggar reaffirmed Nigeria’s belief in multilateralism and the promise of strategic partnerships.

He highlighted the potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area, Nigeria’s stake in the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and regional gains within ECOWAS, including freedom of movement, as a viable economic alternative for African youth.

He said, “Nigeria believes that agencies survive only when they can adapt to circumstance,” while reiterating Nigeria’s longstanding calls for UN reform, fairer trade, and equitable access to capital.

He lamented that because little had been done in the area of reforms, “We now face even greater uncertainty.”

He addressed the internal pressures faced by African governments, as they struggled to meet rising public expectations with limited capacity.

“It’s a process that crowds out serious debate and empowers political snake oil salesmen,” he warned, stating that while West Africa has witnessed several coups in recent years, “the crisis of democracy is global.”

Tuggar, while drawing on his tenure as Nigeria’s ambassador to Germany, referenced the simultaneous popularity of two seminal works – Jean Raspail’s Camp des Saints and Hannah Arendt’s Origins of Totalitarianism.

He said, “We should recognise the fears expressed in the former and the lessons in the latter,” insisting, “We cannot allow our responsibilities to be diluted by our rights. The truth is not a supermarket, to be picked or discarded according to taste.”

He decried the double standards in global responses to hate speech and disinformation, stating, “We were told online hate speech in Africa was the price of freedom; when it happens here, arrests follow.”