During a lecture at King’s College London, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo called on world leaders to collaborate and prioritize the elimination of terrorism in Africa. Osinbajo emphasized the severity of terrorism in the Sahel region and its negative impact on the existing problems in Africa. He urged world leaders to recognize that terrorism in any part of the world poses a threat to humanity as a whole.
Osinbajo’s media aide, Laolu Akande, quoted him as saying that while some African countries have made efforts to tackle terrorist groups, more needs to be done, particularly in partnership with the international community.
According to the 2022 Global Terrorism Index, the Sahel region is home to “the world’s fastest-growing and most deadly terrorist groups,” and Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for almost half of global terrorism deaths. The situation in the Sahel has also resulted in half a million internally displaced persons, 1.8 million people facing food insecurity, and 5.1 million people requiring humanitarian assistance.
Osinbajo believes that world powers and emerging powers should come together with ECOWAS and the African Union to address this issue and treat the menace of terrorism in the Sahel as a common challenge that needs to be eradicated.