The European Union has publicly reiterated its “solidarity with Nigeria,” emphasizing its strong “respect for the nation’s sovereignty” and a commitment to deepening cooperation across several critical areas.
This position, disclosed by the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Gautier Mignot, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday, was made in direct reaction to the “recent comments made by US President Donald Trump about Nigeria.”
Ambassador Mignot clarified that the EU’s stance is “not influenced by external actors” but is instead “rooted in its long-standing partnership and shared values with Nigeria.”
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He stressed that the EU and its member states “would continue to respect Nigeria’s sovereignty” and its constitutional framework, stating, “Our position is one of solidarity with Nigeria. Solidarity with the victims of violence, with the authorities working to protect citizens, and with the Nigerian people who overwhelmingly desire peaceful coexistence beyond ethnic and religious divides.”
He added, “We respect Nigeria’s sovereignty and constitutional commitment to religious neutrality.”
Mignot assured that the EU is prepared to enhance its existing support in several key areas, including “peace, security and defence matters,” as well as through dialogue with all stakeholders.
He highlighted that the EU is actively implementing several peacebuilding initiatives across the country to “promote peaceful coexistence” and supports programs focused on “deradicalisation, demobilisation and reintegration of ex-members of non-state armed groups in the North-East.”
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While the Ambassador acknowledged that Nigeria “faces challenges in human rights and freedom of religion,” he maintained that the country’s legal structure “provides for fundamental freedoms,” noting that “The situation is not perfect, as in any country, but there exists a constitutional basis for the protection of human rights. It is up to Nigerian authorities and society as a whole to uphold and strengthen this environment of peaceful coexistence.”
He reaffirmed that the EU’s support is “non-discriminatory, covering all victims of violence irrespective of the motives,” and assured that the bloc’s engagement is “steady and predictable,” driven by “shared interest in a stable, prosperous, and democratic Nigeria.”
Mignot concluded by noting that a peace, security, and defence dialogue between Nigeria and the EU is “expected soon” and emphasized that the country’s future “lies firmly in the hands of Nigerians themselves.”
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