Nigeria has called for stricter accountability and sweeping institutional reforms within the African Union, warning against expansion without measurable results.
Speaking at the 48th Ordinary Session of the AU Executive Council in Addis Ababa, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, urged member states to prioritise transparency and efficiency across the Union’s organs.
Addressing the report of the Permanent Representatives’ Committee, Mr Tuggar raised concerns over discrepancies in financial records and breaches of procurement rules within AU institutions.
He pressed for a clear and binding timeline to implement all outstanding audit recommendations “without exception”.
The minister cautioned that increasing staff numbers without corresponding improvements in output would weaken, rather than strengthen, the organisation’s effectiveness.
On humanitarian issues, Nigeria called for greater attention to the growing crisis of internally displaced persons in the Sahel and Lake Chad regions, areas heavily impacted by conflict and instability.
Mr Tuggar also warned against migration agreements with third countries that externalise asylum processing, arguing that such arrangements could undermine the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to a stronger and more accountable African Union, the minister expressed support for coordinated continental partnerships with India and Türkiye under the Banjul Formula.
