President Bola Tinubu has called for the strengthening of cross-sectoral partnership between Nigeria and the European Union (EU) based on the principles of democracy, rule of law, and freedom.
Tinubu made the call during a meeting with the delegation of the EU, led by the EU Commissioner in charge of International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday, October 19, 2023.
“Democracy is not an easy process, but we must fight for democracy and struggle for it to win at all times,” the president said.
President Tinubu, who emphasised the importance of economic cooperation with the EU in the areas of digital education, traditional energy, renewable energy, and broadband access, equally told the visiting delegation that Nigeria’s economy was going through several long-lasting reforms to render it capable of pulling millions of Nigerians out of poverty.
He said: “We have a young and vibrant population, and we are determined to succeed. If we succeed, democracy succeeds. If we succeed, freedom succeeds.
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“We need all of our partners’ hands on deck to sail together. We look forward to strengthening our partnerships.”
In her remarks, Urpilainen commended Nigeria for playing a pivotal role as a key partner of the EU, not only in politics and economics but also in shaping the social landscape across the African continent.
The EU Commissioner stated that over the past four years, the EU has been working to transform the nature of its relationship with Africa by shifting away from the traditional donor-recipient dynamic.
She said the EU seeks to establish an equal and mutually beneficial partnership through the “Global Gateway” investment programme as a flagship example.
She noted that this strategy, agreed at the AU-EU Summit in Brussels last year, sets a goal of €300 billion in investments, with €150 billion allocated to Africa.
Thanking President Tinubu for the role Nigeria played in supplying key energy products during its standoff with Russia in recent times, Urpilainen noted that the oil and gas partnership can be expanded.
She added that the “Global Gateway” strategy is designed to expedite the green and digital transformations in EU partner countries, with Nigeria standing as one of its most strategic.
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