- As Nigeria, Ghana agree to intensify bilateral cooperation – Statement
Nigeria is set to develop and expand new trade frontiers with Tunisia, in response to President Muhammadu Buhari’s call for stronger trade relations in Africa.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama indicated this on his return from Tunisia, after a visit the Tunisian President, Béji Essebsi, at the Carthage Palace.
A statement issued by the minister’s media aide, Sarah Sanda on Sunday in Abuja confirming Nigeria’s desire to further strengthen and expand cooperation with Tunisia, especially in the area of trade and new investment opportunities available in both countries.
Onyeama’s visit to that country which was on the invitation of his Tunisian counterpart, Khémaies Jhinaoui was obviously the first time in over 30 years, that a high level Nigerian official was visiting Tunisia.
The Minister spoke of the need to raise the level of cooperation between all African countries, considering that trade exchange between African countries is still weak.
Onyeama reviewed the challenges faced by Nigeria and emphasised that the priorities of the government’s work were to end terrorism, in addition to other Government priorities which included establishing a system of good governance, job creation for young people, and diversifying the income sources of the Nigerian economy.
He expressed his admiration for the success of the democratic transition in Tunisia and the efforts made by the president to achieve greater stability in the country
Responding, the Tunisian president had stressed the need for enhanced cooperation between both countries; even as he also emphasized the need for both countries to share experiences through the exchange of visits between senior officials.
Subsequently, the Tunisian President renewed his invitation to President Muhammadu Buhari, who he described as his brother, to visit Tunisia at his convenience.
Essebsi stressed the importance of developing a comprehensive and unified strategy to develop cooperation between African countries in all fields according to a progressive and progressive approach; noting the need for concerted efforts on issues of security, and cracking down on terrorism, through close coordination and cooperation among all the countries of the continent.
President Buhari had asked Nigeria to play its natural pivotal role in the development of the African continent to achieve a better future for its peoples.
In the meantime, Nigeria and Ghana have agreed to intensify bilateral cooperation for the benefit and development of both countries and that of the West African sub-region.
Mr Laolu Akande, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity (Office of the Vice-President), confirmed this development in a statement he issued in Abuja on Sunday.
He said that the bilateral agreement was part of the outcome of the closed door meeting between Acting President Yemi Osinbajo and the visiting Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo, held at the official residence of the Nigerian acting President on Sunday in Abuja.
According to the presidential aide, during the meeting that followed, the two leaders highlighted the critical role that Nigeria and Ghana play as the “centre piece’’ of the West African sub-region.
“Discussions between the two leaders touched on the forthcoming African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa, ongoing negotiations on the Continental Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), and the revitalisation of the Ghana-Nigeria Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation.
“Both leaders pledged to intensify bilateral cooperation for the benefit and development of the sub-region,’’ he said.
According to the statement, Akufo-Addo thanked the acting president for receiving his delegation on a special day, when Nigeria was commemorating Eid-el-Fitr.
He said that his visit was part of an ongoing tour of the sub-region to “take stock of what’s going on, and to renew relations’’.
The Ghanaian president also extended his good wishes to President Muhammadu Buhari.
Osinbajo on his part thanked the Ghanaian president for visiting Nigeria.
He said: “We are extremely excited about the ECOWAS sub-region and hope that we will be able to do a lot together.’’
Members of Akufo-Addo’s delegation included Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, and Minister of National Security, Albert Kan Dapaah, as well officials of Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Ministry.
