The reason behind Nigeria’s participation at the Joint Arab-Islamic Summit

Nigeria is taking part in the combined Arab-Islamic Summit due to its close proximity and historical ties to the Middle East, according to Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation.

On Monday, November 11, 2024, the summit will begin in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

President Tinubu is anticipated to discuss the continuing Israel-Palestinian conflict during the summit, highlighting Nigeria’s need for an immediate ceasefire and the pressing need for a peaceful settlement.

Nigeria’s stance, according to Mr. Idris, is to advocate for a peaceful settlement because the war cannot be won on the battlefield. The minister told reporters in Riyadh, “We need to find a diplomatic solution, and that is precisely what we are looking for here.”

According to him, Nigeria is taking advantage of the opportunity to attend the summit once more and to speak up as a significant actor on the international scene in order to guarantee that the Israel-Palestine dispute is resolved peacefully for all nations.

According to numerous experts, a two-state solution is the only way to bring the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to a permanent conclusion.

The “two-state solution, Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security within very secure borders for both countries” is what Mr. Idris said Nigeria has consistently called for. Nigeria “thinks that is the only way forward; we have to get back to the core of the issue,” he said.

Naturally, the conflict stems from the fact that both nations believe they are losing something, and Nigeria believes that unless a diplomatic solution is found, the conflict could spread throughout the entire region and, in effect, the entire world.

The crisis erupted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, killing over 1,200 people and taking about 251 hostage.

More than 41,000 people have been killed by Israel’s siege of Gaza since then, the bulk of whom were women and children.

Despite international pleas for a ceasefire, Israel has pledged to keep attacking Gaza until Hamas, the group that ruled it, is destroyed.

Gaza is also experiencing a severe humanitarian crisis; according to a report by an international hunger authority, “famine was imminent” in northern Gaza, and a worsening of the conflict might drive half of the 2.3 million residents of the enclave to the verge of starvation.

“Nigeria will undoubtedly face problems as well unless there is peace in the Middle East,” Mr. Idris stated.