President Muhammadu Buhari has just concluded week-long tour of Egypt and two other oil-rich countries of Saudi Arabia and Qatar. He was accompanied by a high-powered Federal Government delegation, which included the Minister of State Petroleum and Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Ibe Kachikwu.
High on his agenda as he discussed with the Saudi Monarch, Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was the ongoing effort by his country and other members of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC to achieve greater stability in the price of crude oil export. The question of oil price and market stability also dominated his talks in Doha with the Emir of Qatar, Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani.
Similarly, oil topped the agenda of the talks the Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachukwu had with his Qatari counterpart on Saturday. Qatar is strategically important in moves aimed at stabilizing oil prices especially as it holds the current OPEC presidency. The visit to the two countries had also allowed President Buhari to meet with leading Saudi and Qatari businessmen in Riyadh and Doha who have accepted to honor his invitation to support his administration’s effort in revamping the Nigerian economy by taking advantage of the great investment opportunities currently available in Nigeria’s mining, agriculture, power supply, infrastructure, transportation, communications and other sectors.
The Middle-East tour, the longest since President Buhari took office last May, had come under heavy barrage of criticism from the opposition who saw the visits to the two oil-rich countries as unnecessary continuation of a spree embarked by a President they accused of not concentrating on the affairs of a country in a hurry to develop faster. That was how a cross-section of some misguided and ill-informed Nigerians developed false notions about President Buhari’s Middle-East tour which was exclusively undertaken to forge measures aimed at ameliorating Nigeria’s worsened economic fortunes precipitated by the previous administration.
Contrary to the disruptive criticisms of what could be called unpatriotic elements that have no basis for condemning President Buhari’s good-intentioned visit to Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Qatar as frivolous jamboree, there has been prospects for numerous benefits to this country which had in the first place prompted the outing.
Egypt, from ancient times, is renowned for its agricultural expertise along the bank of River Nile and in the dry interior where irrigation activities strive to date. It is also a citadel of excellence in medicine, tourism and technology.
It is therefore proper if Nigeria, as a giant of Africa, could cultivate a mutually beneficial relationship that could ultimately prop up its ailing economy. Besides, President Buhari’s visit to that legendary country was to attract direct foreign investments which will hopefully enhance the growth of his country’s epileptic economy.
Saudi Arabia, reputed to be sitting under the world’s largest deposit of crude oil, is brimming with petro-dollar whose estimate stands at over nine-hundred billion dollar, a sum that represents the total amount of Nigeria’s budget for many years.
As Nigeria’s traditional ally and partner in progress, it can very easily help in alleviating the problems that retard Nigeria’s march to economic prosperity. Presently, it is in a better stead to bail Nigeria out of its predicament of paucity of dollars arising from the falling oil prices in the international market.
In fact, President Buhari’s numerous visits to other countries of the world, especially the developed and highly industrialized ones was motivated by his desire to immediately return Nigeria to her prominent position as a responsible member of the international community. So far, as many Nigerians have seen, the numerous tours of President Buhari have already added real value to their country in many respects.
The visits were also seen by many as direct efforts to launder the image of Nigeria and correct the impression that Nigeria is still wallowing under the heavy burden of different difficulties it inherited from the lackluster administration of Goodluck Jonathan. Of course, with President Buhari at the helms of Nigeria’s affairs it is yet again regaining its lost glory and is taking its rightful place in the comity of nations. This is glaringly evident in the demonstrative welcome to Nigeria, once again, to its notable role as the giant of Africa.
The international community is appreciative of President Buhari’s efforts to turn things round in Nigeria and are hailing him for fighting corruption in all its ramifications and his myriad achievements in the fight against terrorism and insurgency as well as the diversification of the economy which has now promised to improve the ugly situation occasioned by the vagaries of global oil gut.
As Buhari continues to globetrot Nigeria is being cured of all the ailments that had hitherto rendered it comatose. Undoubtedly these laudable goals couldn’t have been achieved if he had chosen to remain at his posh abode in Aso Rock Villa, enjoying its luxuriant comfort. He should therefore not be expected to remain aloof while his counterparts the world over are frantically charting a new path that will take their countries to economic prosperity and political stability. Ride on Mr. President, Nigerians are proud of your efforts to make their lives better and meaningful.
