The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, on Tuesday stressed the need for collective regional action to address declining public trust, fragile institutions, and rising threats to constitutional rule.
Tuggar spoke at a stakeholders roundtable on the Regional Partnership for Democracy at the United House in Abuja.
The roundtable was attended by representatives from West African member states, as well as chairpersons from Nigeria’s Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Foreign Affairs, highlighting the significance of the engagement.
The minister described the event as a pivotal moment for the future of democracy in West Africa.
“The Regional Partnership for Democracy, or RPD, is not merely a policy framework. It is a bold assertion that democracy in West Africa must be sustained, strengthened, and most importantly, shaped by us,” Tuggar said.
He called for long-term thinking and deeper integration of democratic principles into national and regional governance structures.
The minister also warned against the external pressures facing the region, including the failures of past international strategies such as the EU Sahel Strategy (2015–2020) and the criminalization of migration-related activities, which have disproportionately affected countries like Niger.
“The notion that migration from the Global South will obliterate the culture of the Global North must be tempered by the understanding that, when managed effectively, migration fosters a scenario where cultures complement one another,” he said.
The minister stressed that internal governance challenges such as poor local leadership and lack of representation also contribute to democratic instability.
He argued for the regional ownership of the RPD, describing it as a flexible platform where member states can define their own reform paths, in alignment with the African Union Charter on Democracy.
Tuggar commended the United Nations Development Programme for its technical and strategic support in co-developing the RPD framework, noting the importance of African-led democratic renewal.
The minister closed by urging member states to endorse the RPD, integrate its principles into national governance, align it with AU commitments, and serve as anchor states in driving innovation and peer learning.
“We are not here to lecture, nor are we here to impose. We are here to co-create a vision of democratic renewal led by Africans, for Africans,” Tuggar concluded.
