The Head of the European Delegation to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States, Gautier Mignot, has said that Nigeria is going through challenging times as a result of the insecurity bedevilling the country.

Mignot stated this while delivering a goodwill message at an event titled ‘Discourse on Nigeria’s National Identity – Revisiting the Indigene-Settler Question’ organised by the National Peace Committee (NPC), in collaboration with the Delegation of the European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS.

Mignot also said the EU believed in the virtue and power of common reflection and dialogue to address the tensions of a society, debunk the narratives that fuel them, and identify solutions and further actions.

He added that at stake is not merely social harmony, but the essence of state-building itself— forging a nation where every citizen, irrespective of origin or tenure, enjoys unequivocal rights to reside, participate, and prosper.

The EU Head of Delegation further said enshrining such rights in the Constitution was an important step, but the promise must be kept every day and for every citizen, and it was a governmental as well as a whole-of-society duty.

“In the challenging times which Nigeria is going through in terms of insecurity and conflict and related dichotomies or differences of perception, this is even more important,” Mignot said.

Speaking further, Mignot said the EU stood resolutely with Nigeria in this noble pursuit, advocating for a robust framework of citizenship that transcends indigeneity, ensuring equal access to opportunities, resources, and governance for all who call Nigeria home.

“True nation-building calls for Nigeria to elevate citizenship above narrow divides of yesteryear to the youthful, energetic, creative, aspiring and impressively ‘ethnically’ cosmopolitan Nigeria of the 21st century; embedding residency rights and federal character principles into its constitutional fabric.

“Historical tensions, fuelled by discriminatory practices, undermine the state’s legitimacy and retard progress; yet, visionary reforms such as guaranteed rights after sustained residency can transform these fractures into pillars of strength, fostering inclusive governance and shared prosperity.

“Europe’s own journey in managing diversity offers valuable lessons, even if our great ethnic diversity still falls short of equalling Nigeria’s impressive one. This diversity has been for us a source of uncountable conflicts and wars. We needed two cruel world wars punctuated by changes of borders and, in some cases, tragic massive and forced displacements of population, to finally overcome these conflicts through European integration. The European Union has long embraced the principle of ‘United in Diversity,’ transforming its diverse nations, cultures, and identities into a source of strength rather than division, adding a common citizenry—the EU one—to each national, regional, or ethnic identity.

“Through comprehensive diversity and inclusion strategies, the EU has fostered environments where equality, anti-discrimination, and mutual respect are foundational. This commitment extends beyond rhetoric, through binding diversity charters, robust anti-discrimination laws, and active promotion of equal opportunities across gender, ethnicity, religion, and other identities. Europe’s experience shows that embracing diversity requires deliberate policies and political will to build unity without erasing difference, a path Nigeria can adapt to its unique context. True, we are not done with ethnic tensions, in some parts of Europe but also, we all know this very well, towards populations of recent settlement, recent immigration, in Europe. This dichotomy between indigenes and settlers is also a challenge for European societies today,” he stated.

Speaking earlier, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese and Convener of the National Peace Committee, Most Revd. (Dr.) Matthew Hassan Kukah, said recent developments in Nigeria suggest that Nigerians are still far away from the goal posts that the founding fathers set for the country.

Kukah, who spoke on behalf of the Chairman of the National Peace Committee, General Abdusalami Abubakar, said: “We are still ravaged by miniature internal wars, quarrels, squabbles, dissensions, clashes, and altercations. A combination of the heat generated from these tensions has left our nation unable to make meaningful progress in the areas of well-being and cohesion. Issues and questions that we ought to have resolved still continue to surface and to haunt us, slowing down our capacity to trust one another and making nation-building a syllabus of forced errors and crises.”

Kukah further said at the moment, Nigeria has become a cauldron of tension, misery, trauma, and desolation for the majority of its citizens who cannot enjoy the so-called sense of belonging contemplated by the Constitution.

He added that in the daily lives of the people, the letter and the spirit of the Constitution are in suspended animation.

“Yet, it is from the letter and spirit of the Constitution that citizens must draw the inspiration to claim their legitimate rights as citizens of their nation,” he added. (The Sun)

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