Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his leadership roles in Africa and the stabilisation of the West African sub-region.

In a statement, Femi Adesina, Mr Buhari’s spokesman, said the secretary-general spoke in a meeting with the Nigerian president at the sidelines of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday.

It noted that Mr Guterres urged Mr Buhari to continue to show leadership as he looked up to Nigeria to help stabilise the sub-region in terms of democracy and good governance.

The UN scribe observed that Africa, especially West Africa, was generally seen as an ocean of stability and good governance but was deeply concerned at the recent reversal of fortunes in democratic rule in some parts of the West African sub-region with coups overturning elected institutions, according to the statement.

On terrorism, the UN chief commended the efforts of Nigeria on this global phenomenon, added the statement, and assured the Nigerian leader of the UN’s continued support to address security and humanitarian challenges.

Mr Buhari, added the statement, applauded Mr Guterres for his global leadership and the success of the 76th Session.

He assured the secretary-general that Nigeria had achieved appreciable successes tackling the insecurity caused by terrorists and bandits.

The Nigerian president also thanked him for the global organisation’s intervention in reducing the effects of climate change, especially with the support for the Great Green Wall programme.

The statement further mentioned that Mr Buhari added that Nigeria was ready to support and work closely with the UN to achieving the SDGs.

(NAN)