President Muhammadu Buhari says there can be no development without peace in the country, stressing that the two are complementary to each other.
Buhari said this while receiving the Director General of the Arab Bank for Economic Development, Dr Sid Ould Tah, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday.
According to a statement issued by his spokesman, Femi Adesina, President Buhari said the key focus of his administration had been security, economy, and anti-corruption, noting that the three are critical “towards achieving our overall development objective not just as a country, but more importantly as a continent.”
The President noted that the issues that affect one nation also affect others, adding: “This has been clearly demonstrated in our fight against the tyranny of terrorists that have spread across the entire West African sub-region, and beginning to emerge in our sister countries in some parts of East and Central Africa.”
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Noting that focus on agriculture and infrastructure allowed Nigeria to be resilient during the last two global economic and public health crises, Buhari urged the Arab Bank for Economic Development to review the amount of capital it can inject into various economies, “as this would lead to greater impact as we stare at the various issues that would confront our economies.”
President Buhari further stated that the work of the Arab Bank for Economic Development “is very critical, and, indeed, a major catalyst and tool for achieving our overall objective as leaders on the continent.”
Lauding the Bank for its investment in Nigeria, he pointed at strides in the agricultural sector regarding food security systems, capacity building, and integrated infrastructure project.
On his part, Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, who had interfaced with the bank at its headquarters, thanked President Bank for ensuring improvement of security in the North-East, “as we now get grants for livestock farming, gum Arabic production, infrastructure, and I believe Nigeria will still have more opportunities from the Arab Bank for Economic Development.”
Tah, however, congratulated President Buhari for his award on peace strengthening, saying it was a testimony to his efforts in promoting amity in Nigeria and Africa.
He said the bank has a strong relationship with Nigeria, and would love to do more in the areas of wheat cultivation, gum Arabic, veterinary support services, women, and youth development, among others.
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