PRESIDENT TINUBU EXPRESSES COMMITMENT TO ENHANCING CO-OPERATION WITH OTHER COUNTRIES 05-04-24
By Sadiq Aminu President Bola Tinubu has expressed his commitment to enhancing co-operation with other countries in the areas of education, mining, culture, and tourism.
He stated this in Abuja while receiving Letters of Credence from the High Commissioner of Jamaica, Lincoln Downer; and that of Australia, Leilani Bin-Juda; as well as the Ambassador of Romania, Florin Talapan.
During separate meetings, President Tinubu assured them of Nigeria’s support for a rewarding stay and re-affirmed his government’s commitment to maintaining an open-door policy towards strengthening existing economic, cultural, and diplomatic relations.
Received the High Commissioner of Jamaica, President Tinubu emphasised the importance of collaboration in trade, investment, and the Technical Aids Corps.
He reiterated Nigeria’s readiness to reactivate energy co-operation with Jamaica, particularly in the context of climate change and the utilisation of gas as a transition fuel.
”The essence of a relationship is to understand one another. With Nigeria’s energetic and talented youth, we have a cultural affinity with Jamaica and a lot of potential for cooperation in the areas of culture and tourism that will benefit the youth populations of both countries,” the President said.
The Jamaican High Commissioner conveyed his Prime Minister’s willingness for co-operation between Nigeria and Jamaica in various fields, such as energy, trade and investment, culture, and tourism.
He announced plans for a Jamaican business delegation to visit Nigeria later this year, and invited Nigerian investors to explore opportunities in Jamaica’s special economic zones.
During the meeting with the High Commissioner of Australia to Nigeria, President Tinubu expressed appreciation for the longstanding relationship between Nigeria and Australia.
He acknowledged the shared values and interests between Nigeria and Australia as active members of the United Nations, the Commonwealth, and other multilateral institutions.
Acutely aware of Australia’s world-leading position in iron ore export, the President emphasised the importance of strengthening co-operation in mining, following recent initiatives by the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, to deepen ties between the two nations concerning developments in the sector.
“The Minister of Solid Minerals was in Australia recently, and we look forward to further collaboration in this area. We are also ready to deepen our mutual cooperation in the area of education,” President Tinubu stated.
The Australian High Commissioner expressed enthusiasm for further collaboration during her tenure in Nigeria.
“I am the first Australian indigenous person to be appointed High Commissioner to Nigeria. I have been here for five months, and I love Nigeria. I love the people. I am sure my tenure here will be extremely fruitful for both sides,” the High Commissioner told the President.
She extended an invitation to President Tinubu to consider visiting Australia during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa.
During the meeting with the Romanian Ambassador, President Tinubu assured the ambassador that Nigeria would explore more opportunities for collaboration with the EU-member country.
The Romanian Ambassador expressed his commitment to strengthening ties between Nigeria and Romania, particularly in the education, energy, and defence sectors.
He announced plans to increase scholarships for prospective Nigerian students interested in studying in Romania.
“Nigeria is a second home to me, and I have lived here for many years. I have to give back every good thing I have received from Nigeria. My country is looking towards a strategic alliance with Nigeria in the areas of education, energy, and defence,” Ambassador Talapan told President Tinubu.