President Muhammadu Buhari has called for peace on the continent as a prerequisite for sustainable development.

In a message to African leaders to mark the ''Africa Day 2020,'' commemorated by the African Union Commission in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), President Buhari said Africa has given the world a new hope by choosing the theme ''Silencing the Guns in the context of the COVID-19'' for this year’s Africa Day.

He stressed the need for African leaders to ensure that every effort is made to ensure the success of silencing the guns on the continent, emphasizing the need to sensitize Africans about the inseparable connection between peace and development.

Buhari stated; ''Peace, security, unity, and harmony are prerequisites for development in Africa."

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He urged citizens all over the continent to innovate on how ''Silencing the Guns” can be used to achieve peace and grow African economies.

He also urged regional economic groups, civil society organizations and the private sector in Africa to take full ownership of the theme of this year’s celebration to strengthen collaborative efforts among member-countries of the African Union.

Africa Day is observed annually on 25 May, to commemorate the founding of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the precursor of the African Union, which was created on 25 May 1963 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.