Nigeria, Japan agree to cooperate against terrorism in Sahel

By Timothy Olanrewaju

LAGOS, Nigeria (AA) - Nigeria and Japan have agreed to cooperate in combating terrorism in the Sahel region, officials of the two countries said.

In a joint statement, Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar and his Japanese counterpart Kamikawa Yoko said following a two-day meeting in Abuja that the cooperation was necessary to tackle insecurity and halt the expansion of Boko Haram, Daesh/ISIS and other terror groups in the region.

“We talked about cooperation with Japan to address the root cause of terrorism and instability in the Sahel region as well as the issue of Boko Haram in North Eastern Nigeria,” said Tuggar.

He explained both countries agreed on the "crucial need to shore up" efforts at combating terrorism and insecurity in the region.

Yoko, who led a Japanese delegation to Abuja, assured of her country's readiness to cooperate with Nigeria.

The Sahel region consists of African countries, including Nigeria, Niger, Chad, South Sudan, Sudan, Mali, Central Africa Republic (CAR), Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Senegal.

Nigeria, Africa's largest democracy, faces over a decade of terrorist attacks like its neighbors Niger, Chad and most countries in the Sahel.