The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to deepening the relationships between Nigeria and other African countries while expecting them to reciprocate the gesture. The Minister disclosed this at the First Angola-Nigeria Interactive Business Forum organized by the Angolan Embassy in Abuja on Thursday, October 19, 2023.
Alhaji Idris revealed that Nigeria is implementing its foreign policy agenda, dubbed the Tinubu Doctrine, built on four main pillars: Democracy, Demography, Diaspora, and Development. This policy aims to strengthen Nigeria’s position as an African leader, increase its global influence, and take advantage of strategic autonomy. Additionally, these pillars aim to drive important multilateral reforms, improve national security, and boost trade and investment.
The Minister elaborated that Nigeria’s foreign policy will play a key role in achieving President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s domestic priorities, outlined in the Renewed Hope Agenda. The government will continue to advocate for policies and programmes at the global level that align with Nigeria’s domestic objectives and aspirations.
The Minister therefore called for synergy amongst African countries to confront the challenges facing the continent, noting that the President’s dream and vision is that African countries forge deeper and stronger connections that allow the continent a bigger and more forceful positioning on the global stage and a greater chance at achieving true and lasting freedom and prosperity.
“Even against the backdrop of differing languages, cultures, and social and political systems, we must find ways of agreeing on and pushing unified narratives about who we are as a continent and what we want to achieve across all spheres of endeavour,” he said, adding that Africa must be united in its thinking around development, industrialization, trade, job creation, and the place of our continent in the 21st century.
Alhaji Idris therefore urged Angola to partner with Nigeria in playing key roles in the success of Africa as both countries rank among the two important economies on the continent, noting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would continue to strengthen mutual brotherhood between the two countries through the deliberate pursuit of productive bilateral relations.
On his part, the Angolan Minister of External Affairs, who was represented by Mr. Tete Antonio, Secretary of State for International Cooperation and Angolan Communities, said Angola intends to invest more in strengthening economic and commercial relations with Nigeria to gain from its vast experience in the diversification of economic production.
He said the Angolan government is working on structural reforms to change the paradigm of depending on petroleum, thereby making its economy less vulnerable to the volatility of oil prices, and the country is counting on the Federal Republic of Nigeria and other friendly nations to achieve that objective. He urged the Nigerian business community to take advantage of the Angolan market, which, he said, is open for business and investment, adding that it presents various competitive advantages.
The Angola-Nigeria Interactive Business Forum was attended by the Nigerian Business Community, Captains of Industry, the Diplomatic Community, friends, and well-wishers of the Republic of Angola.
Suleiman Haruna
Deputy Director, Press
Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation
October 19, 2023