The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar has urged the African Union (AU) to reflect on the current realities of African countries with a view to strengthening unity and development.
Tuggar made the plea at the 6th African Year Coordination Meeting in Ghana, while also urging the continental bloc to prioritise virtual meetings and meetings at Headquarters in its 2025 budget, reflecting the continent’s current realities and capacity.
“The 2025 Union Budget should prioritise virtual meetings and meetings at Headquarters, reflecting the Union’s current realities and capacity,” Tuggar stated. “The budget should mirror the Union’s strategic priorities, and these parameters should be included in future budgetary initiatives.”
According to the Special Assistant to the Minister on Media and Communications Strategy, Alkasim Abdulkadir in a Statement, Tuggar also emphasised the need for standardised grading of positions for AU entities’ heads, expedited completion of the Skills Audit and Competency Assessment process, and implementation of audit recommendations without exceptions to prevent financial loss.
Regarding the Pan-African Parliament, Tuggar encouraged the Commission to expedite the remaining aspects of the decision, noting that “Nigeria calls on the Commission to expedite the implementation of the Council’s Decision on the Pan-African Parliament and the roadmap for the theme of the year, ‘Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations.’”
The Minister also drew attention to the importance of implementing audit recommendations without exceptions to prevent financial loss and stressed the inclusion of eligibility criteria in recruitment processes to prevent unnecessary participation.
Tuggar expressed concern over the lack of consensus on the AU Partnerships Policy and Strategic Framework (AUPPS) and noted that its successful adoption would pave the way for more effective partnerships.
He called on member states, partners, and the AUC to prioritise the achievement of all aspects of the roadmap towards the actualisation of the Africa We Want in the 21st century.
