By Joy Odor Abuja
Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has shaken the global security stage with a powerful call for dialogue and consultation as the bedrock of international peace, during his keynote at the 12th Beijing Xiangshan Forum.
Addressing Defence Chiefs, policymakers and diplomats from more than 100 countries, Badaru declared that “dialogue succeeds where confrontation fails,” stressing that only inclusive engagement can guarantee lasting stability in a world riddled with conflict.
Citing Nigeria’s frontline role in peace missions across West Africa from ECOWAS interventions in Liberia, Sierra Leone and The Gambia, to the Multinational Joint Task Force’s fight against Boko Haram, the minister underscored that even the toughest crises bow to negotiation when anchored in legitimacy and sustained commitment.
Badaru linked his message to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, insisting that Nigeria’s proactive diplomacy and domestic reforms reinforce its global peacebuilding credentials.
He warned that the international order will remain fragile unless nations abandon zero-sum postures and embrace dialogue as a “shared responsibility” for peace and development.
“The lesson is clear,” Badaru told the packed forum. “Lasting security is not built by bullets, but by bridges of trust and consultation.”
