On Thursday in Abuja, President Bola Tinubu urged the EU and Nigeria to deepen their cross-sectoral relationship on the foundations of freedom, democracy, and the rule of law.
According to Chief Ajuri Ngelale, Special Advisor to the President on Media and Publicity, Tinubu made this statement during a meeting with a group from the European Union, which included Ms. Jutta Urpilainen, the EU Commissioner responsible for International Partnerships.
At a different occasion earlier in Abuja, the President hailed the signing of eight finance agreements between Nigeria and the EU under the “EU Global Gateway in Nigeria.”
The President declared, “Democracy is not an easy process, but we must fight for democracy and struggle for it to win at all times.”
In the fields of broadband access, conventional energy, renewable energy, and digital education, Tinubu emphasized the value of economic collaboration with the EU.
He informed the visiting team that Nigeria was undergoing a number of significant and long-term economic changes to enable it to lift millions of its citizens out of poverty.
Our populace is youthful and energetic, and we have high aspirations. Democracy thrives if we are successful. Freedom triumphs if we are successful.
To sail together, we need all of our partners to be on deck. We’re excited to grow our alliances,” he remarked.
In her speech, Urpilainen praised Nigeria for being an important EU partner that has shaped the social landscape of the continent of Africa in addition to its political and economic contributions.
The EU Commissioner clarified that by moving away from the conventional donor-recipient dynamic, the EU has been attempting to change the character of its relationship with Africa over the last four years.
She stated that the EU’s “Global Gateway” investment initiative is a prime example of how it aims to create an equitable and mutually beneficial collaboration.
She mentioned that this plan, which was decided upon at the AU-EU Summit in Brussels last year, calls for investments totaling 300 billion euros, of which 150 billion go toward Africa.
She expressed her gratitude to Tinubu for the crucial role Nigeria played in providing essential energy goods during its recent dispute with Russia.
The EU Commissioner stated that there is room for growth in the oil and gas relationship and that the “Global Gateway” plan was created to accelerate the digital and green transformations of EU member states, Nigeria being one of the most important.
“We are investing in human capital, education, and research, as well as in critical infrastructure like energy, transportation, and digital infrastructure,” the speaker stated.
Ms. Rita Laranjinha, Managing Director of the Africa and European External Action Service (EEAS), and Ms. Samuela Isopi, Ambassador of the European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS, were among the other members of the EU mission.
Read Also: Tinubu appoints Olusi as Bank of Industry’s new MD
The others were Ms. Maria Pilar Palmero Vaquero, Head of Unit for Western Africa, Directorate-General International Partnerships (DG INTPA), and Ms. Lora Borissova, Africa Advisor, Cabinet of the European Union.
