Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has identified illegal mining activities as a major source of terrorism financing in the country and the African continent.

Tinubu who revealed this when he spoke at the African High-level Meeting on Counter-Terrorism held in Abuja on Monday, said illegal mining had plagued so many nations including Nigeria today which has made it quite easy for sponsors of terrorism to gain access to easy money.

The Nigerian President called for an international collaboration to dismantle the financing network of terrorists and to effectively trace and block terror financing, he said the international community bears a “moral and legal obligation to help because it is external finance, not African money, that fuels these illegal operations.”

“We shall be knocking on this door of the international community to answer this call for justice, peace, and fair play,” he said.

Tinubu also advocated for the creation of a regional standby force and a counter-terrorism centre to degrade the activities of terrorists in Africa’s most troubled spots, stressing that the counter-terrorism centre will be a hub for intelligence sharing, operational coordination and capacity building throughout Africa.

“Key to our collective efforts against terrorism is the urgent need for a fully operational Regional Counter-Terrorism Centre,” Tinubu said.

“A regional force can serve as a rapid deployment mechanism, capable of swiftly responding to major threats and bolstering the security of our region.

“I am mindful of the funding, legal, and logistical complexities that face the proper establishment of such a force.

“However, with a prudent and clearly defined mandate that accords with international law and respects national sovereignty, such a force can serve as a rapid deployment mechanism, capable of swiftly responding to major threats and bolstering the security of our region.

“Such a force can stand as a strong deterrent to large-scale and protracted terrorist operations and the capture, occupation or disruption of strategic land and resources. We must continue to make careful yet meaningful progress toward this goal.

“No one state can solve this problem for itself. It requires continuous and concerted action by all of us,” Tinubu emphasized.

Joseph Mulenga, a 24-year-old carpenter from Chinsali District in Muchinga Province, has spoken on the necessity of broadening access to developmental information through diverse media platforms in rural regions.

With the advent of social media, Mulenga observed that rural communities were becoming more informed about global events.

However, he raised concerns about the prevalence of misinformation, particularly regarding development initiatives within the country.

“Media freedom entails not only sharing content but also responsibly disseminating informative material accessible to all,” Mulenga says during an interview with Zambia Monitor in Chinsali.

He expressed satisfaction with the implementation of the Cyber Security Act, which has contributed to restoring order on social media platforms by curbing the dissemination of misleading content.

“While mainstream media endeavors to cover rural communities, including marginalized and disabled individuals, there remains a need for greater efforts to ensure the dissemination of credible information on development,” he advised.

Mulenga acknowledged journalists’ commitment to reporting on various developmental issues but urges authorities to devise strategies for effectively reaching rural areas with such news.

“Although the Cyber Security Act is being enforced adequately, there are instances where individuals propagate hate speech without facing repercussions, while others are swiftly apprehended,” he observed.

Emphasizing the importance of access to information and media freedom, Mulenga highlighted their role in empowering citizens to make informed decisions, irrespective of their location.

He appealed to the government to consider the level of awareness, particularly among rural residents, regarding the law’s provisions, citing instances of ignorance that could lead to inadvertent violations.

This story is sponsored content from Zambia Monitor’s Project Aliyense.