President Muhammadu Buhari Wednesday hosted His Excellency Mohammed Younis Menfi, Chairman, Presidential Council of Libya, stressing that a stable or unstable Libya has implications for countries in the Lake Chad Basin area, including Nigeria. 

President Buhari said Chad, and Niger, have extensive borders with Libya, and they are Nigeria’s immediate neighbors, adding that Whatever affects them affects Nigeria. 

He stressed that the security of Nigeria was the number one priority to him, noting that “unless a country or institution is secured, there’s no way you can efficiently manage it.” 

President Buhari said he was happy that the Chairman of the Presidential Council of Libya could personally attend the Summit of Lake Chad Basin Commission held in Abuja on Tuesday, to discuss the situation in Chad and the implications for security in neighboring countries. 

Responding, Mohammed Younis Menfi said Libya was fast-evolving, as there is now one government, active on the ground. 

President Menfi explained that Libya is expelling the mercenaries, and unifying the instructions.

He said democratic elections would be held in due course, adding that the historical relationship between his country and Nigeria in the areas of oil and agriculture meant that one country could not ignore the other. 

He said Libya aspire for joint cooperation and reactivation of previous agreements between Nigeria and Libya.