President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Wednesday in Yokohama, Japan has reaffirmed that inclusivity, diversity, and the rule of law remain Nigeria’s greatest strengths.
Tinubu made the remarks during his intervention at the plenary session on Peace and Stability at the 9th meeting of the Tokyo International Conference for African Development (TICAD9).
The President who spoke after the opening ceremony, emphasised the ongoing investments in infrastructure, institutional reforms, and collaboration with civil society and international partners to improve the living standards of all Nigerians. 
According to him, “Nigeria’s brave armed forces can win any number of battles, but we do justice to their heroism only when we, as government, are courageous in tackling not just terror, but also the underlying causes”.
The President stressed the essence of peace and the stability to meaningful development, lamenting that conflicts are still ongoing in many African countries despite some progress.
He lauded the Nigerian armed forces for successes in war against insurgency and criminality while emphasized commitment to addressing root causes of insecurity through strengthening the government security apparatus and ongoing economic reforms.
In a statement released by his aide, the President appealed for market-driven cooperation and partnerships across nations rather than the hackneyed appeals for aid and handouts.
However, he highlighted recent peace pacts brokered in the Congo as evidence that a new model of mediation and economic considerations can yield success.
“We should be under no illusions about the scale of our task. But neither should we underestimate the successes we have had. In the past, competition for resources has weakened states and triggered conflict.
“Now, we see mediators directly linking outcomes to investment in Congo. It is working and underlines the need for fresh thinking in everything we do to deliver peace and stability.
“Nigeria understands this process well. We believe inclusivity and diversity under the rule of law are our strengths. We have argued for this vision, and we have fought for it. We are still fighting for it today.
“We have learned that our brave armed forces can win many battles. But we can do justice to their heroism and sacrifice only when we, as governments, display the courage to be tough, not only on terror, but on the causes of terror,” he said.
Tinubu seized the opportunity to call on the Japanese government to support the campaign for reforms in the United Nations’ organs, especially the United Nations Security Council, to give African countries a greater voice.
“It is the view of Nigeria that Africa’s quest for fair and equitable representation in the UN Security Council is a just and fair demand.
“Indeed, Africa deserves two seats in the Permanent Category, with all its prerogatives and privileges, including the Right of Veto. Africa also deserves additional seats in the non–permanent seat category of the Security Council, as encapsulated in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration.”.Addressing the role of information and technology, President Tinubu called for international cooperation to ensure technology becomes a tool for peace and trust, not division and alienation.
The Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba emphasised the importance of mutual understanding, local solutions, and collaborative efforts for Africa’s development.
The Prime Minister outlined Japan’s focus on private sector-led sustainable growth, youth, women empowerment, and regional integration.
Ishiba announced a collaborative economic framework between Japan and the African Development Bank that will see a maximum of $5.5 billion disbursed to Africa, utilising Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) private sector investment finance as a catalyst.
