From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, New York
President Muhammadu Buhari said Friday in New York that insecurity in Nigeria will soon be a thing of the past thanks to renewed efforts by the Nigerian military.
According to a statement by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, Buhari gave the assurance while at an audience with the Prime Minister of Ireland, Micheal Martin.
According to him, “In the past few months, with new platforms and boosted morale among the security forces, Nigeria is moving steadily in the direction of overcoming its insecurity. We will continue to partner with nations across the globe especially in the use of technology so that Nigeria can learn something useful.”
With the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, President Buhari told the Prime Minister that it is better for the world to work together rather than independently for enhanced progress for humanity, hoping that the lessons learned from the pandemic will impact other areas so that Nigerians and the world can have sustainable peace.
He assured his guest that Nigeria will do its best to maintain, if not improve, the relationship with Ireland, particularly on the level of education, knowing that many Nigerians are doing well in Ireland, schooling and working there.
On his part, Martin had told the Nigerian leader that Ireland was looking for ways to increase the level of relations with the country, even as Nigeria remains Ireland’s largest trading partner in Africa. He expressed hope that his country would move into other areas like the deployment of technology, to help Nigeria overcome its challenges in health and security.
He added that Europe and the world now need to look elsewhere for sources of energy as the war in Ukraine has highlighted.
In a separate meeting with the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, President Buhari urged for a closer partnership with Nigeria in education, health, security as well as non-oil and gas sectors.
Stressing the importance of education and knowledge, President Buhari said the time has come to begin to look at practical ways of tackling health challenges that come without notice.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis told the President that “Greece possessed the technological know-how in security, surveillance, as well as intelligence gathering and utilisation and was in a position to assist Nigeria” noting that, “though technology is not cheap, it is the best way to go as there is no alternative to peace.”
He added that he will put together a business delegation with experts in health, education as well as oil and gas to visit and interface with the private sector in Nigeria to look at parameters under which they can come in.
The Prime Minister extended an invitation to President Buhari to visit Greece before the end of his tenure.