Buhari Assures Nigeria Will Redeem $100m Pledge To MNJTF Soon…Says Intra-Africa Trade Key To Continent’s Economic Growth

President Muhammadu Buhari has assured that his administration ‎will fully redeem its pledge of $100 million for the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) to enhance the operations of the Task Force against Boko Haram. ‎He gave the assurance in Addis Ababa while ‎speaking at a high-level meeting of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council.

The President said that having already released $21 Million to the task force in June last year, Nigeria will remit the balance of $79 Million very soon. Buhari also assured the Council that Boko Haram’s capacity to conduct conventional attacks has been “heavily degraded”.

“As at now, there is no single Nigerian territory under the control of the insurgents other than their hideouts in Sambisa Forest. Displaced persons (IDPs) are now being resettled in their respective homes. This feat totally accords with our promise to Nigerians to rid the country of terrorism and extremism within few months of our assumption of office.

“Our efforts are already yielding dividends and we will not relent until the terrorist groups are totally decimated and wiped out of our country and sub-region,” he declared.

The President also reaffirmed Nigeria’s readiness to support measures to end the conflicts in Burundi and South Sudan, including the proposed deployment of troops by the AU to Burundi.

“Let me reiterate Nigeria’s deep commitment to ensuring durable peace, stability and security on our continent. Without peace, there will be no development. It is therefore vital for all of us to join hands in taking appropriate measures to end the conflicts and bring a stop to the incalculable damage being inflicted on innocent citizens in the affected countries,” he said.

Meanwhile, President Buhari has called for an ‎intensification of intra-African trade and acceleration of the pace of economic integration across the continent. He made the call late Thursday in Nairobi at a banquet in his honour at the conclusion of his state visit to Kenya.

President Buhari said that the expansion of trade relations between Nigeria and Kenya in recent years should be replicated by all other African countries to speed up the pace of economic development on the continent.

“We now have Nigerian industrialists establishing cement plants in Kenya while Nigerian telecommunications operators are learning and adopting the Kenyan mobile banking model as a tool for financial inclusion in rural Nigeria.

“We have Nigerian farmers coming to learn from successful Kenyan farms while at the same time, we have many up and coming Kenyan oil and gas businesses partnering with Nigerian oil companies.

“We have Nigerians drinking Kenyan coffee in their homes and offices, while we have many Kenyans listening to Nigerian music and watching Nollywood movies

“These developments point to a real integration on the continent beyond formal diplomatic relationships. Greater intra-Africa trade will ultimately result in the creation of millions of jobs within Africa for Africans,” Buhari said.

The President expressed the hope that Nigeria and Kenya will continue to build on the mutually-beneficial trade and economic relations between them.

He called for the rapid implementation of all bilateral agreements already signed by the two countries and the convening of their Joint Commission for Cooperation.

“As our two governments move ever closer, our business communities will also take full advantage of this momentum to increase trade and economic activities.

I feel confident that by the end of this visit, new and solid bridges for movement of persons, goods and services would have been constructed,” President Buhari said.

President Uhuru Kenyatta announced that both leaders agreed to intensify bilateral cooperation on trade, investment and the fight against corruption and terrorism.