Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects for Advancing Durable Peace
09/29/2017 06:35 PM EDT
Remarks
Thomas A. Shannon, Jr.
Under Secretary for Political Affairs
U.S. Institute of Peace
Washington, DC
September 28, 2017
(As Prepared for Delivery)
Good morning. Thank you, President Lindborg, for the kind
introduction. I am grateful to you and Ambassador Carson for the
invitation to participate in this important symposium on Nigeria. It is
great to be back at the U.S. Institute of Peace, where each day you
bring together key policy makers to engage in open dialogue on today’s
most pressing issues.
Our Africa Bureau produces incredible diplomats. We have one in Don
Yamamoto here today. It’s a
Bureau that really works at what I consider
to be the cutting edge of American diplomacy and working in a part of
the world that is in a remarkable and profound state of transition and
has enormous lessons in terms of peacebuilding, peacekeeping, conflict
resolution, building economies, and globalization, which are incredibly
important for all of us. Some of us are going to have to relearn these
lessons. Our engagement in Africa is a very, very important part of
that.
I was here two weeks ago to discuss the burgeoning U.S.-African
partnership, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to join you this
morning to continue that conversation in the context of Nigeria – one of
our most important partners in Africa.
I want to acknowledge the Senior Working Group, a distinguished
cohort of Nigerian civic leaders, for your efforts and commitment as
peacebuilders. Your work to defuse conflicts over a range of issues from
elections to land use inspires us all.
When Nigeria’s northern governors came to this institution in late
2016, the clear consensus was that addressing the war and poverty
plaguing northeast Nigeria required robust initiatives for education,
reconciliation, and political inclusion. I am pleased the working group
here today is bringing together your collective years of experience as
spiritual leaders, military commanders, journalists, election officials,
human rights advocates, and educators to develop strategies to address
these enduring challenges. The United States is proud to be your partner
in these vital efforts.
Our Strategic Partnership
The U.S.-Nigeria partnership is rooted in the deep connections
between our people. It is also rooted in our shared interests in
promoting mutually beneficial trade and investment, combatting the surge
of terrorism, and responding to Nigeria’s development and governance
challenges.
These priorities are being addressed every day through our robust
bilateral partnership. As President Trump underscored during his recent
working lunch with African leaders, we cannot have economic prosperity
without peace, and we cannot have sustained peace without good
governance.
On the economic front, Nigeria stands apart. It is sub-Saharan
Africa’s largest economy, and the United States’ second largest
bilateral trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa. Nigeria’s vibrant and
dynamic economy, full of innovation and entrepreneurship, has driven its
economic growth. According to Global Entrepreneurship Watch, 35 percent
of Nigerians are involved in some sort of entrepreneurial activity.
However, Nigeria could unleash its potential further by pursuing growth
through market-based policies, not state-centered ones. A market-based
approach that minimizes barriers between buyers and sellers will
encourage additional investment and trade, and lighten the regulatory
load on its budding entrepreneurs and investors.
A related issue to increased economic growth and investment that
should remain front and center is Nigeria’s youth bulge. Nigeria is
expected to become the third most-populous country in the world by 2050.
It will be essential that we consider the voice of Nigeria’s youth
today to ensure their leadership and commitment tomorrow. We support
this engagement through the Young African Leaders Initiative, or YALI,
and through the more than ten thousand Nigerian students at institutions
of higher learning in the United States.
On the political front, Nigeria is a recognized leader across the
continent. Within West Africa, we are grateful for Nigeria’s leadership
in the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, and
particularly during the political transition in The Gambia in December
2016. We are also grateful for its robust peacekeeping presence on the
continent from the DRC to Mali.
Nigeria’s peaceful, transparent elections in March 2015 showed the
rest of Africa and the world that a complex, diverse society could
conduct peaceful democratic transitions of leadership. Many of you here
today played an important role during that period. As the country heads
into state elections and the 2019 national elections, the United States
is ready and willing to offer our technical assistance, as we have in
the past.
On security issues, Nigeria is an important leader and partner in the
Lake Chad Basin collaborating with its neighbors to defeat the scourge
of Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa. The United States supports this and
other efforts to bring security and stability to citizens affected by
violence. At the United Nations last week, the U.S. government announced
$54 million in additional humanitarian assistance for the Lake Chad
region, bringing the total to almost $700 million over the past two
years. While humanitarian support is an immediate necessity, it cannot
be a long-term solution.
My meeting with the Nigerian Foreign Minister last week was a great
opportunity to learn more about what else the Nigerian government is
trying to accomplish on the security front. It is clear to me that
Nigeria is well aware that the fight against terrorism will be won not
only by the military’s conduct on the battlefield, but also by its
conduct off the field. Nigeria understands that human rights abuses and
impunity tarnish its international reputation, undermine the trust of
its citizens, impede counterterrorism efforts, and ultimately hinder our
ability to fully partner with Nigeria.
A military response alone will not lead to sustained peace in the
Northeast. A holistic response is required. One that sets the conditions
for the safe return of refugees and displaced persons. One where the
Nigerian government works with civic leaders like we have here today to
create the social and political infrastructure needed for lasting peace.
So, thank you again for the opportunity to be here this morning and
for your dedication and determination to create a more peaceful and
prosperous Nigeria.
