President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday said his administration’s focus on infrastructure and agriculture enabled Nigeria to sail through the last two global economic and public health crises.
Buhari also explained that the attention he gave to security, economy, and anti-corruption in the nearly eight years of his tenure in office was aimed at developing the country.
He made these known when the Director-General of the Arab Bank for Economic Development, Dr Sid Ould Tah, visited him at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The President urged the bank to review the amount of capital it can inject into various economies, “as this would lead to greater impact as we stare at the various issues that would confront our economies.”
Buhari, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, also noted that there can be no development without peace, as the two are complementary to each other.
He said that the work of the bank ”is very critical, and, indeed, a major catalyst and tool for achieving our overall objective as leaders on the continent.”
Lauding the bank for its investment in Nigeria, the President pointed at strides in the agricultural sector, food security, capacity building and integrated infrastructure project.
He explained that the focus on security, economy, and anti-Corruption was geared ”towards achieving our overall development objective not just as a country, but more importantly as a continent.”
Buhari, who observed that the issues that affect one nation also affect others, stated that “this has been clearly demonstrated in our fight against the tyranny of terrorists that have spread across the entire West African sub-region, and beginning to emerge in our sister countries in some parts of East and Central Africa.”
Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum, who had interfaced with the bank at its headquarters, thanked the President for ensuring the improvement of security in the Northeast.
Zulum said: “ We now get grants for livestock farming, gum Arabic production, and infrastructure, and I believe Nigeria will still have more opportunities from the Arab Bank for Economic Development.”
Ould Tah congratulated the President for his award on “Strengthening of the Peace in Africa” from the Abu Dhabi Peace Forum, saying it was a testimony to his efforts in promoting amity in Nigeria and Africa.
He said the bank has a strong relationship with Nigeria and would love to do more in the areas of wheat cultivation, gum Arabic, veterinary support services, and women and youth development, among others.