day hope to see you this, the nigeria is back said the new president. last year when he took over the german shapes of the west, african regional block tackle. he pledge to boost his country's influence. after years of inward looking administration, economic malaise and security challenges. i spoke about that with the countries for ministry use of to got in a special conflict zone from the berlin global dialogue. how does he see nigeria stepping up with the leadership role when it confronts a domino of crews on its doorstep? foreign powers positioning for influence on the continent. the conflict into down and citizens leaving nigeria in the face of economic and security fear for jerry and foreign minister or use of took our thank you so much for joining us on

conflicts on from the berlin global dialogue. thank you for having me. let's begin in your region, west africa. your government aims to reassert its influence after years of inward looking administrations. but you have this domino of cruise on your doorstep. in this a hell me share molly and burkina faso all following to military governments. it's not going to be an easy task, is it is not easy, but you have to look at the root causes of what we're facing today. the unconstitutional changes of government. they are a direct result of the failure of the ease the head strategy, the direct result of the um uh the breaking down of the good that she, uh regina, in uh, in the, in libya they are of course, a direct result of, uh, uh, trying to cubs um migration and the fight against terrorism. and

the fact that uh, nigeria was not included in quite in a more of these initiatives. and with those factors in mind, what does it mean for you in actual practice? because you're the big player in echo us. this is the economic community of west african states. it's been key to your influence in the region, and now you have new share, malia and burkina, faso not only withdrawing their membership from echo oscar. they are also forming their own alliance. the alliance of so health states your zone of instant language shrinking, isn't it? no, it's not. we continue to engage new share my leave or it's, you know, fossil on other countries. we don't see them. and the thing simply by, from noticing that they have left, there is a process of these countries i signature used to the echo us protocol. it's treaties of events. so it takes time in the meantime. we continue with full on diplomatic efforts. don't interrupt me. i know you,

i know you're fond of doing that, the cheap because i'll interrupt you to a cheap so that's that they would. so we continue and you have to move things even within the f plus a community. you've got the manual revise you've got uh we are part of the admin j t f for instance. so there's nothing wrong with having uh such a groupings as being part of uh, of course. so it does not necessarily stand that it means that the standing conflicts with that with but ultimately, i mean, they don't seem as if they're interested in rejoining any time. so well, i'll talk to you the possibility of that would be joining in the next 2 to oh, you would do in virginia to make these diplomatic efforts. we're making headway. it's a process. it's not an event when your president took over as chair of echo last last year he said the following, and i'd like to to quote him. he says he would not allow qu after qu in west africa, and that you must not sit in echo us as quote, toothless bull dogs. you know,

when we look at the situation echo echo has failed to make good on a threat to militarily intervene to stop the coo and new share. because uh, the concern is the is and then the lift is not bang section. then you lifted the sanctions that were intended to pressure up was, is the community has as well since they've become a toothless both the community. so the priority is the people and not the states, not the system of government, and we will make correctional decisions. just as we did the i, the french of the use of force was one of several options. and that's a wait for minutes, but you didn't make good on it so. so the question is, how can you put a view on the net care and age what it was was about what you were looking for now on the dial me him on the keels? i've seen the non was so that's why we did not. well, i'm asking you that because you, you have rational, i've to have the layout,

it evaluated it and decided it wasn't the best thing to do. and the diplomatic efforts to continue. you have these values though as echo, as in just like we have them. we mentioned the economic integration, but also peace and democracy. i mean you, you really pride yourself in this nation in nigeria as being on the use of my will pushing those countries. how are you re presenting the now inspection? sure. with that in room for how can you like to simply move back to cause a constitutional democracy. okay. where did those values stand in the face of military cause a stand in the countries like an idea and other stuff continued to pour them is done with f o us. and this is what we will continue to do. um, we are a democracy and echo us is the communities of west african states, the priority the focus is on the community of people. so when not just simply to make goods on what we're for, knows we're not going to uh,

just embark on some sort of uh, cottage and blood shed just so that you would say, oh yes, they've made good on their what i'd like to turn out to for an influence, cuz you know, we have seen for an influence on the continent and following that's a hell cruise and burkina faso. molly new share that began in 2021. we've seen those countries reorient their security partnerships with french and us troops to now russia. and its proxy is russia is said to have this strategy of driving a wedge between echo asked to extend its influence and under cut. the west is that concerning to you? and how concerning it's very concerning insights, uh, external interference in general, having uh, for instance, on less scenarios or a private village of companies as a whole or preaching in the region in this a how is, is

a great concern to us. and this is why we continue to make a different much efforts. it's been, it's been forward to fail when external forces tried to come into f was to solve problems or to create spheres of influence. you can see what an idea was able to achieve in, in, in sarah new own in liberia when it led up to a month and restored peace to the elections and the continued under democratic administration. and this is precisely what we're also doing with the multinational joint task force that is succeeding in the fight against what? $400.00 of them in the lakes at the regents and what the national joint task force is. nigeria? it's new share. it's chad. it's kind of, we're going to get to those security issues in this conversation. but 1st, i just like to ask you because you were recently in russia. you said that you had

an interaction with form minister, laughed ralph, were you given any assurances? you said that you essentially reiterated the importance of unity with an echo us. what did the russians have to say? and they told us that uh, they are fully in support of peace in the region. i believe then. well, i'm a diploma. so no we wait to see what's your biggest fear we what is the rest of the right on the continent of the dougherty. i know poverty, i trust, but verify. so that's what i do. and what do you make of what you're saying? well, i'm watching and we continue our diplomatic efforts spoken as a diplomat. you, you have that one that as a journalist, as you have said,

that your position and i'm hearing it here as well as one of the strategic autonomy and that you work with all countries. so how much pressure, though, are you under to choose a saw it when i was on the end because it was, is normally the 1st time you cetera we, we see countries splitting into blocks, right? the spitting into blocks over ukraine to some extent. there also, you know, splitting the splitting of the box over the, the word that we're seeing on the continent in sudan that's raging. how difficult is it for you to maintain strategic autonomy? and it's always a challenge of governance as a whole. diplomacy, being part of the international community is always difficult because as a student of international relations, i know that the international system isn't and i'm not kick one countries fight and by for the national interests. and because of that it's, it's not a cable. so we're not expecting it to be that you know,

country expects that we mentioned security challenges a little bit earlier and i'd like to hit on that now because there are still attacks by groups like i us in, boca her rom and kidnapping for ransom is a huge problem in your country, for example, this year and just like to highlight a number of incidents gunman have it deducted at least 150 people in support of the state. um 287 students in doing a 200 people in bore know how can citizens trust your government if you can't provide the very basic needs for 0 from new york? how many people get shots in new york? but we're talking about nigeria. well, i wanted to, you know, i'm making the point that, you know, when you try to highlights incidence, every net fixed on every single incident and highlights. and you've never even been to the idea or you just told me, you know, vince, i forgot. so this is stuff you're getting from the into that. so, you know,

it doesn't necessarily mean that, that is all that is going on and they do it in your country. the united states, the, the, the, one of the, the, the, the, the candidates of the, of the bill of the, the leading prices for the presidential elections was which was shot was struck that to do, does that mean you highlight that and just right of the united states of america, i'm just asking you what the variety of like grants are i'm just saying as and the here's some calling that's coming out of your, your country. and it says that the majority are of the opinion that you're not doing enough to curb kid not view credit for christmas. one, you can focus on on the negative if you want and create a narrative, ought to be. i want to hear what you're doing. but focus on the positive, so we are a country of 220000000 people's. there will be

a acts of violence. there will be conflicts, but we remain a deliberative democracy with making rapid progress it on nation building in development. and majority of nigerians live in peace. it's been said that extreme poverty, especially in rural areas, has made it easy for g is to continue recruiting among frustrated. you spoke of her rom has been described still being extremely powerful. no, that's nonsense. a ton nonsense. okay. i don't know where you're getting that from . i know you get all your information. so you found out that you've never even been to. you've jumped out the grey homeless, the degree dates have you been able to get a copy of the house? you have sales or vote for her. i'm that still a fridge, but it does not mean they don't control any type of cheese. ok. and so to describe them as that is a certain nonsense. well, it's been described i've heard through. you need to check other websites. this one

that you downloaded from is the wrong one. okay, well even if you're able to reduce violence in your country, how are you going to keep it out? let's look at the region more broadly. ok, how clean poverty title is, have securities, focus on the things that we're doing this and this just as you are doing all just help me finish up with ashley on food security analyst have said, for example, i want to look at one aspect of this because and also said that the crews and molly new share and the for keen, a fast to have largely led to an increase in violence like transnational tires on zillow before guys friday, due to the collapse of, uh, but how uh, how big of a lower ratio tackle ask than lifetime headphones. so we're having to do with it. hm. the g 5. so i have a prism, but a kinase and i 0 is not a part of in comparison to what we will have part of which was a promo good. but we lead uh success successfully resettle silvio. and we settled liberia on which we're doing with the multinational tassels. that's an idea for you

. i'd like to turn on what they used to call us the both bus. that's that was the idea. so another potential flash point for your security and then i'd like to turn to the, i'm going to talk about potential flash point, virginia and i on this stage we don't have enough flash. why? we're having a constructive conversation. okay. um, another potential flash point for your country. i'm on the thank you for not over interrupting me this time around. i think i flipped it go on fair enough. another potential flash point for and i'd like to talk about another potential flash point for your security is the conflict in su down. the former prime minister of dollar home doc says that he fears the civil war is quote, fertile ground for the spread of regional terrorism. and do you share that fear, or i do not the only, but i share the fear of the repercussions on my dear i,

because we have about 8000000. uh so, disney's, uh that of fine and i do an extraction so that we have our largest dashboard is done, which is why, you know, sometimes we wonder why, you know, there's, there's so much to and cry about migration and nice year ends living in your for other parts of the world because this that they've done is our largest dashboard and it goes back in history because of the pilgrimage to mecca on foot on horseback. um, so historically you have lots of nigerians in done so that's why we're getting award for unlike other countries, we took our time window of the terrain so it's always good to work with those know the environment from the jury. we did not want a situation where we get involved and then were deemed to be taking sides in the

conflict was really once a resolution to the so where does your foreign policy put you on this conflict? because, you know, for those i got away. i, you have the complex is, can you have an idea where junior, we went and warning of them and if you had aid being blocked, if you're doing filing, your and civilian had been doing your searches properly. you would have seen that the only last week i had a meeting with these, the news for him. been stuff on the margins of the united nations general assembly . so how do you see nigeria as role then in brokering me, typically broker and new solution and yours is media to the role and using the platform of the african union. okay, because we have in his diplomatic efforts, we've seen diplomatic efforts on the part of the us and saudi arabia. we've also, as you said, us. yeah, we've also seen regionally. thank you. god, for example,

we are right. you tell me all right there. i just getting a song you that we have history, we have done, we understand it very well. in fact, a lot of nigerians us the news or let us the news and i years. so that's why it's always good to work with those in the neighborhood. so are you making, are you making news here right now? because i just want to say one mind to make me making one add a list from your country has said the following. he says that no other country in africa has what it takes to fill this role to help build the prospects of a lasting peace into down. you're going to be playing a greater role on, on the analysis. are you playing a greater vol and brokering solutions? well, it's not news we've been saying. mm hm. so we can expect the top is what you mean by that. you're a bit more work better yet. please visit my dear visit africa for once.

i want to get final. what do you make of the play though? for international in the of the international power dynamics, cuz this is a complex conflict. right. and you know, there is talk of foreign involvement. the u. a. e is accused of backing the paramilitary rapids support forces. something that they deny around in egypt are arming the say of russia is said to be played both sides. the playing mercenaries. how much of an impact do you see this involvement having? and how concerning is it to you, or what impacts of yours foreign involvement foreign and well that 44, and 4 and 5, that's what conflict best. what is that should be to distribution made. it was, and that's why when a country like an idea, if you look at the major is approach, the reason why it combines a lot of respects and difference on the african continent is we on one second. the 1st of all to unable is that how much smaller than, than us. okay,

and it's clear that over the course of history, we do things shortly. i'll do actually with them all for the better and 1st of africa, that's why a lot of countries reports. so much confidence when we come in as mediators, it's happened going back to the sixties and seventies chad when we were having resolving the working on resolving the conflicts and chad. we had the chide conferences inc. time with northern parts of an idea or you wouldn't know, but when you come to nigeria, i'll teach you that was done with me due to the in the past. and that is why nigeria major said, don't forget, the major is in the countries that has a new permanent seats in the african union, peace and security thoughts. there's a reason for that. i'd like to get

a final thought from you about the play for influence in africa a little bit later. but before we go on, i understand you have limited time. um, i must ask you about the state of the economy. your government vowed or reset of nigeria is and kind of me instead it's been described as the worst economic conditions and nigeria and 3 decades inflation hired who does the growth vance, your boy towards the national dentist. 6, you are once lation and that's again his prior to starting with the fed. the old by the way, higher than 3 have the was your president has just and this actually happened the day he just li patients the or for the ones or last day for a patient. you know, do you really think nigerians have time to wait? as they do yours are very efficient, very understanding and they see what the government is doing and how much progress we're making with metro economic default reforms until a company like that, by any chance, came a long trip to courage, the currency exchange and so to undermine those microeconomics performed by

allowing for money a laundry through the platform, which affected our exchange rates and into and so that became a major setback for the my curriculum. but where addressing that were coming, most of us i see you apply to the good see. so yeah, tell me, tell me a little bit more about the protests because i mean you have had nationwide protests, you had them in august. you also have them again this week, the ones in august, right? 5th, that's where where is the fatal passion in nigeria it gets overblown. well, we got a deliberative delay defense our asset allow or a rental of some of their policies. exactly. oh will flows actually and that's what i would like to ask you. and so i don't know why in ohio, but there is the, the, hey, oh, look, visit visit process and i do the whole roof is going to cave in how high is the risk thought, and i'll make a leave it or not shake people's foundation though, and not just on us, we are the most nascar for him way,

but you have protests in your country, the united states. same way that you have protest care in germany where you live. we also have protests in nigeria, it's a deliberative democracy. people are allowed to voice their opinions and they have freedom of association. they have the freedom to express themselves and it should not be different. yeah. so the way that the fuel, especially you don't lie just like a nation, therefore, or look down. every one very quick question. all right, then we have to go and i'd like to ask you about the future, the youth, because you've talked about the moxley in your country and how you have such a strong young population. but a lot of the youth are, are saying and um are leaving the come towards the term there's, there's also like commercials with jobs. i mine, i mean send the said this one, but a lot of the use. well, it's estimated the more that more than way too many things where you 100 people

have chosen where, where you're am over with websites or officials to. i know that you know which websites. that's your official stuff. which website events which website quoted by bbc. the 0 official statistics will be refined, bbc is major, is official as the science about the firm niger and sleeping about the number of new jersey. yeah. yeah. yeah. which is why we're having the phones, which is why we, we are embarking on which we was should have been discussing what we've done in terms of food security. what we've done in terms of inclusive between the associated investment programs, the infrastructure develop that is taking place in nigeria, the special economic zones. this is what we should focus more on instead of just highlighting the negative foreign minister to the thank you so much for your time. we very much appreciate having you on conflicts on from the berlin global dialogue . thank you for the conversation as always, you've been so wonderful with you again.

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to our law. seeking justice for the victims of fame. assign starts november 21st on the w the . this is the w news, and these are our top story is german transfer a lot. schultz and russian president vladimir putin spoke today on the phone, their 1st direct contact in nearly 2 years. according to the german government, shouts told boots in to end his war and withdrawal russian troops from ukraine. sholtes urged russia to be prepared to negotiate with ukraine and reiterated germany support for key. a number of people have been injured after protesters and stormed the parliament and of kazi, a break away region of georgia.