President Bola Tinubu calls for strengthening of Nigeria-EU relations

On Thursday in Abuja, President Bola Tinubu advocated for the development of a cross-sectoral cooperation between Nigeria and the European Union (EU) founded on the values of freedom, democracy, and the rule of law.

Tinubu remarked this when he received a delegation from the EU, headed by Ms. Jutta Urpilainen, EU Commissioner in charge of International Partnerships, according to Chief Ajuri Ngelale, Special Advisor to the President on Media and Publicity, who made this revelation.

During an earlier occasion in Abuja, the President hailed the signing of eight finance agreements under the “EU Global Gateway in Nigeria” between Nigeria and the EU.

“We must fight for democracy and struggle for it to win at all times,” the President declared. “Democracy is not an easy process.”

In his remarks, Tinubu emphasized the value of economic collaboration with the EU in the fields of internet access, traditional energy, renewable energy, and digital education.

In order to enable it to lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty, he informed the visiting group that Nigeria’s economy was undergoing a number of long-term reforms.

“We are a young, energetic community that is focused on success. Democracy thrives if we do well. Freedom triumphs if we do well.

To sail together, we require the participation of all of our partners. We anticipate growing our alliances,” he remarked.

Urpilainen praised Nigeria in her speech for being an important EU partner that has shaped the social fabric of the continent of Africa in addition to politics and economy.

The EU Commissioner clarified that the EU has been trying to change the character of its relationship with Africa by moving away from the conventional donor-recipient dynamic over the past four years.

Using the “Global Gateway” investment initiative as a model, she stated that the EU aims to create an equitable and mutually beneficial collaboration.

She pointed out that the aim of this policy, which was decided upon at the AU-EU Summit in Brussels last year, is to invest 300 billion euros, of which 150 billion will flow into Africa.

She commended Tinubu for the significant contribution Nigeria made in providing essential energy goods during its recent dispute with Russia.

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The EU Commissioner said that the partnership on oil and gas might be extended and that the “Global Gateway” plan was intended to hasten the digital and green transformations of EU member states, Nigeria being one of the most important of them.

In addition to human capital, education, and research, she stated, “We are investing in critical infrastructure such as energy, transportation, and digital infrastructure.”

Ms. Samuela Isopi, the EU’s ambassador to Nigeria and the ECOWAS, and Ms. Rita Laranjinha, the managing director of the European External Action Service (EEAS) for Africa were among the other members of the EU mission.

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, were among the others.