Nigeria rejects AU proposal to create new department

Nigeria has voiced its support for ongoing efforts to reform the African Union (AU) but firmly opposed a proposal to restructure an existing department within the continental body.

During deliberations on AU reforms, President Bola Tinubu—represented by Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar—expressed appreciation for the reform initiatives led by Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Kenyan President William Ruto.

A statement released by Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed Nigeria’s endorsement of key proposals, including the establishment of a Heads of State and Government Oversight Committee under President Ruto’s leadership and a streamlined AU Summit agenda with no more than three strategic items.

However, Nigeria objected to a suggested restructuring of the Department of Political Affairs, Peace, and Security (PAPS), currently led by Nigerian diplomat Ambassador Bankole Adeoye. Adeoye was recently re-elected for another term at the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government.

“We do not support the proposal to reconfigure the Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS) as the reconfiguration of the PAPS Department in the way currently suggested will only lead us to incur more expenditure needlessly,” Tinubu stated through Ambassador Tuggar.

“We already have a SOD under the Directorate of PAPS. We cannot have a Peace Support Operations Directorate independent of the Directorate of Political Affairs, Peace and Security. We believe any attempt to create another department from the existing one will destabilise the AU political affairs and peace and security process. It is also important that issues that were never brought to the attention of Member States are not part of the reform,” he added.

President Tinubu further emphasized the need for a phased approach to reforms, advocating for the implementation of agreed-upon policies rather than seeking widespread consensus on all aspects at once.

“It is in this connection that Nigeria wishes to reiterate that instead of seeking to reach consensus on all fronts of our reform at one sweep, we should concentrate on areas where we have already reached consensus. There is no harm in carrying out reform in phases. It would be an error to continue seeking consultation on all fronts in perpetuity,” he said.

Nigeria reaffirmed its commitment to AU reforms, as long as they remain transparent, inclusive, and do not unnecessarily disrupt the organization’s existing structures.