President Muhammadu Buhari arrived in Niamey, Niger Republic, on Thursday for a two-day African Union summit on industrialization and economic diversification, as well as an extraordinary session on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The leader used the occasion to inaugurate Muhammadu Buhari Boulevard, which was named after him by the government of the Republic of Niger.
Buhari will also attend the presentation of the French translation of the book “Muhammadu Buhari: The Challenges of Leadership in Nigeria,” as well as the inauguration of the “Muhammadu Buhari Boulevard,” which was named after him by the government of the Republic of Niger.
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Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama, Minister of Defense Major-Gen. Bashir Magashi (ret.), and Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment Adeniyi Adebayo comprise the President’s delegation.
Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed; National Security Adviser, Major-General Babagana Monguno (ret.); and Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Ahmed Rufai Abubakar are among the other key government officials.
Why the government of Niger named a road after President Buhari
The Presidency said yesterday that the naming of a road in Niger Republic after President Muhammadu Buhari demonstrates the immense esteem that Nigeria’s neighbors have for him.
Senior Special Assistant to the President for Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, said this in Niamey, the capital of Niger, after Buhari inaugurated a major road bearing his name.
Shehu said that President Mohammed Bazoun of the Niger Republic, joined by the Mayor of Niamey and other authorities, led Buhari on a tour of the 3.8-kilometer boulevard opened in accordance with the country’s constitution.
The presidential adviser said that Buhari was pleased with Nigeria’s current bilateral ties with its neighbors.
Buhari opined that such connections had been very beneficial, particularly in combating border instability, illicit weapons import, and smuggling.
Shehu said that upon becoming office in 2015, Buhari initiated a robust engagement with neighboring Niger, Benin, Chad, and Cameroon, a strategy that led to the establishment of mutually beneficial diplomatic connections.
“President Buhari has a strong respect for our neighbors, and he understands the essence of good neighborliness. Before this administration, some of these countries complained that they were not even being talked to by Nigerian leadership. We have opened up dialogue with them and it is paying off.
“We are partnering with them on essential matters, especially on security, tackling smuggling, and importation of illegal weapons, so the partnership is complete,” Shehu continued.
The presidential adviser anticipated that Bubari would leave on May 29, 2023, a relationship with Nigeria’s neighbors that had been constructed on a rock-solid foundation and was expected to be maintained by his successor.
