Defence Ministry To Deepen Collaboration With Bulgaria

The Minister of Defence, Muhammad Badaru Abubakar, CON, mni has said that the Ministry of Defence is willing and ready to deepen Defence cooperation with Bulgaria. Badaru disclosed this when he received the Ambassador of Bulgaria to Nigeria, Yanko Yordanov in Ship House, Abuja. He said that considering the level of Bulgarian Defence Industry, the Ministry of Defence will cooperate with Bulgaria in areas of information and intelligence sharing, equipment production as well as military training. Speaking on Military equipment, the Minister stated that Defence Industry Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) of Nigeria will partner with Bulgaria for effective technology transfer that will enable the Industry meet with international standard. Accordingly, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Nigeria and Bulgaria will be signed  to facilitate effective military cooperation between the two countries. On the forth coming Military Exhibition slated for June 2024, the Minister promised to send a delegation from the Ministry to attend the exhibition. “Our attendance will provide us opportunity to learn how Bulgarian Government produce their Military hardware. Yanko Yordanov, the Bulgarian Ambassador to Nigeria said Bulgaria and Nigeria have shared experiences and existing mutual military relationship that exceeded decades.  In furtherance to  strengthening the bilateral relations, the Ambassador said that the Military Exhibition would afford Nigeria the opportunity to gain more knowledge about Bulgarian Military equipment production.

Shettima Departs To China For 3rd Belt, Road Forum

Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima on Sunday departed the country to represent President Bola Tinubu at the 3rd Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Forum in Beijing, China which is scheduled to hold between October 16 and 18. Mr Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Sunday. Nkwocha said that Shettima would join world leaders from over 130 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America to deliberate on the theme, “High-quality Belt and Road Cooperation: Together for Common Development and Prosperity.” According to him, the vice president is expected to avail Nigeria of the platform provided by the forum to woo investors for more developmental projects. Nkwocha added that the Vice President would hold bilateral meetings with other world leaders to promote Nigeria’s trade and investment relations in line with the economic development agenda of the Tinubu administration. “The 2023 edition of the BRI will mark the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) championed by the President of China, Xi Jinping, as an initiative for global infrastructure development strategy. “Adopted and launched by the government of the Peoples Republic of China in 2013. “The initiative seeks international action to enhance cooperation and promote infrastructure investment in nearly 70 countries across Asia, Africa and Europe through land and maritime routes.” He recalled that in 2018, former President, Muhammadu Buhari, on behalf of Nigeria, signed the Belt and Road cooperation agreement with China. “Nigeria and other partner-countries across the world are to benefit from the initiative in areas of infrastructure investments such as ports, skyscrapers, railroads, roads, bridges, airports, dams and coal-fired power stations.” Nkwocha said that the delegation of the vice president to the forum includes the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu and the Minister of Transportation, Sa’idu Alkali. Others are the Minister of Works, David Umahi, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite; the Managing Director of the Nigeria Railway Corporation, Fidet Okhiria, and the Director-General, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, Michael Ohiani. In a related development, Nkwocha said in pursuance of the food security and diversification policy of the Tinubu administration, the vice president will, from China, depart for the United States of America, USA. “While in US as the special guest, Shettima will deliver a keynote address at the African Development Bank (AfDB) and World Food Prize – facilitated Norman E.Borlaug International Dialogue slated to commence on October 24th, 2023. “Also, he will join other African international leaders, Heads of State and Government who in the past have delivered keynote addresses at the Borlaug Dialogue. “They include former United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan; World Food Prize Laureates; Ghana President, John Kufuor, AfDB President, Akinwunmi Adeshina and former President Olusegun Obasanjo and others.” The media aide also stated that Shettima was expected to highlight reforms being instituted in the Nigerian Agrifood sector by the Tinubu administration. “The vice president will engage several stakeholders, partners and investors in opportunities for investments in Nigeria. “Several meetings and engagements have been slated for the vice president who is expected to be back to the country after his commitments in the US.” 

Tinubu meets UK Foreign Secretary on economy, security

President Bola Tinubu is expected to meet UK Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, who is on a 4-day African visit, on Wednesday. Cleverly, who will spend two days in Nigeria, is on a three-country visit where he is prioritising future-focused, mutually-beneficial partnership. A statement from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office disclosed that a number of funding would be unveiled during Cleverly’s visit to make Nigeria’s agriculture sector more resilient to climate change. It said that the funding would help more than four million people develop better farming practices and reduce harmful carbon emissions. Cleverly’s meeting with Tinubu and the National Security Adviser,  Nuhu Ribadu will focus on the UK-Nigeria partnership and key common priorities. ‘’It will also include how to increase bilateral trade and investment, economic development, regional issues, and strengthened security cooperation.’’ Total trade in goods and services (exports plus imports) between the UK and Nigeria was 7.6 billion pounds in the four quarters to the end of the first quarter of 2023. This is an increase of 48.4 percent or 2.5 billion pounds in current prices from the four quarters to the end of the first quarter of 2022.