President Buhari arrived Abuja today, September 25, after his participation at the United
Nations General Assembly UNGA71 in New York.
At the conclusion of his five-day activities during the 71st Session of
the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA71), President Muhammadu
Buhari declared that he had a very successful outing.
Addressing the media to round off his visit to New York, the President reviewed all his major and side events during the visit and highlighted the issues on which he sent a clear and direct message to world leaders.
"I
highlighted the need for the international community to work together to
liberate humanity from poverty, save our planet from the devastation of
climate change and rid the world of terrorism for a more peaceful and
prosperous future," he said.
President Buhari also stressed that, “I
mentioned that the plight of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)
arising from Boko Haram terrorism is of particular concern to us. For
this reason, we have taken concrete steps to address their humanitarian
needs and to ensure that necessary conditions are established to enable
the voluntary return of the displaced persons to their homes in safety
and dignity.”
While acknowledging that "Nigeria as a developing
country has been adversely affected by the global economic downturn,” he
however, stressed that “we are undeterred and have embarked on a wide
range of reforms in our efforts to diversify our economy and shift
emphasis to mining, agriculture, industrialization, infrastructure
development and the creation of the enabling environment for Foreign
Direct Investment."
He also noted that “fighting corruption remains
of prime importance to our administration,” adding that the campaign is
already yielding positive gains including significant stolen assets
recoveries.
The President stated clearly Nigeria’s position on
Climate Change, development in developing countries, youth development,
statehood for the Palestinians, and reform of the UN Security Council
with Nigeria ready to serve on a reformed Council to “advance
international peace and security.”
President Buhari listed his
meetings with world leaders and the benefits from some of the side
events such as the US-Africa Business Forum during which discussions
focused on how top American business executives “can collaborate with us
to diversify our economy, which will in turn drive development, job
creation and general business development in Nigeria.”
He mentioned
his meeting with top Nigerian professionals in the United States and the
urgent need to reclaim the shrinking Lake Chad, even as he expressed
delight that “some countries notably the United Kingdom and United
States pledged additional support in the tune of US $391 million
humanitarian aid for the Lake Chad region.”
President Buhari used
the occasion of the media event to thank relevant United States
authorities for efficient security and administrative arrangements and
officials of the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for demonstrating
“that we still have capable officers in our Foreign and Civil Services.”
He commended the Nigerian officers for the “tireless effects in projecting a positive image to our country, even in difficult times.”
He commended the Nigerian officers for the “tireless effects in projecting a positive image to our country, even in difficult times.”
President Buhari did not forget members of the Nigerian media, as he
thanked them for “going through elaborate security checks and clearance
procedures to follow my activities and hectic schedule in order to keep
all our people at home well informed of my meetings and engagements.”
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