Buhari returns from Niger Republic

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday returned to Abuja from Niamey, Niger Republic, where he attended the 12th Extraordinary Summit of the African Union, AU.

The President, who left for Niamey on Saturday, landed at the Presidential Wing of the Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, in the presidential aircraft, alongside some members of his entourage.

While in Niamey, Buhari signed the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement, making Nigeria the 53rd state in the continent to append its signature to the document.

The signing of the agreement was the first event at the opening of the summit on the launching of the operational phase of the AfCFTA.

The President had delayed signing the agreement, which entered into force on May 30, 2019.

The delay was to give room for extensive consultations with stakeholders, culminating in the submission of the report by the presidential committee to assess the impact and readiness of Nigeria to join the free trade area.

The AfCFTA is expected to be the world’s largest free trade area since the formation of the World Trade Organisation, with a potential market of 1.2 billion people.

Buhari, at the summit, met with Dr Mansur Muhtar, Vice- President of the Islamic Development Bank and solicited the support of the bank to address Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit.

The President said with the growing population and infrastructure deficit, no amount of money is too much to commit to the revamping of Nigeria’s development challenges.

‘‘We need all the support we can get on infrastructure because the oil will not last forever,” Buhari said.

Buhari also met with the Head of Libya’s Government of National Accord, Fayez Al-Sarraj, and pledged Nigeria’s continued support for Libya’s quest to regain political and security stability, NAN reports.

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