(MENAFN- The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who is currently on a two-day visit to Nigeria, called on Monday for the "unconditional release" of over 200 schoolgirls abducted last year from Nigeria's northeastern village of Chibok by Boko Haram.
"This week will witness the 500th day since the kidnapping of the Chibok schoolgirls," Ban said at a joint press conference with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja.
"I want to reiterate my support for the Chibok girls and so many other innocent abducted girls and boys whose names and fate remain unknown," he said. "It is intolerable that their lives and schooling have been disrupted in this way. The whole world has been moved by their fate."
The UN chief went on to urge the nations of the world to deepen their "indispensable" collaboration in the fight against terrorism.
He also hailed Buhari's ongoing fight against corruption and ongoing reform efforts, stressing the importance of reform € not just for Nigeria but for Africa as a whole.
"When you change Nigeria, you have also changed Africa," he said.
Earlier Monday, Ban took part in a wreath-laying ceremony to commemorate victims of the 2011 bombing of the UN's Abuja office € thought to have been carried out by Boko Haram € in which more than 20 people were killed.
"Terrorism must be brought to an end € not only in Nigeria, but the world over," he said at the ceremony.
At a subsequent meeting with local business leaders and philanthropists, the UN chief urged Nigerian stakeholders to work together to realize the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
"The business community and philanthropy have an important role to grow the economy," he said. "While the government has the primary responsibility to foster an environment for peace and justice, sustainable development and philanthropy also have a critical [role to play]."
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