Yilwatda: Tinubu’s Foreign Trips, Meetings with Global Leaders Are Not Ceremonial

• Insists they’re purposeful actions

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, said President Bola Tinubu’s foreign travels and meetings with global leaders were not ceremonial but purposeful actions that had strengthened Nigeria’s global partnerships and attracted significant foreign investment into the country.

Yilwatda stated that Tinubu’s engagements with strategic global partners underscored his unwavering commitment to advancing Nigeria’s economic interests.

Since assuming office in May 2023, Tinubu had undertaken a series of international visits to key regions, including Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas; engaging leaders and investors in nations, such as United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, China, India, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Brazil, and others.

The missions, officials claimed, had been focused on economic cooperation, trade expansion, and enhanced strategic partnerships.

But critics lamented alleged abandonment of local is-sues.

However, Yilwatda, in a statement, yesterday, by his Special Adviser on Media and Communications Strategy, Abimbola Tooki, commended Tinubu for his strategic international engagements and the gains Nigeria had recorded through sustained diplomatic and economic outreach.

According to him, “These visits have helped reposition our country on the world stage, yielding tangible benefits that will support long-term prosperity.”

The national chairman stated that Nigeria had already secured over $50 billion in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) commitments through Tinubu’s diplomatic drive, with major companies and sectors committing to investments that spanned energy, manufacturing, logistics, agriculture, technology, and infrastructure.

Yilwatda also pointed to recent diplomatic achievements, such as the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with the United Arab Emirates, designed to deepen trade, investment, and cooperation across critical sectors, including energy and agriculture.

Addressing critics, who had described the president’s international travels as “overdone” or unnecessary, Yilwatda said such perspectives reflected short-sightedness and a lack of appreciation for the broader reform trajectory the administration had championed.

He stated, “These are not promises on paper. These commitments represent real capital flows, job creation opportunities, and technology transfers that strengthen our economy.

“Those who focus on the cost without recognising the returns are missing the bigger picture. Nigeria’s reform programme under President Tinubu is bold, strategic, and necessary.

“We urge all Nigerians to support these efforts with patience, knowing that the dividends will be felt across the economy.”

Yilwatda emphasised that the president’s capacity to follow through on reforms, from economic policy shifts to institutional strengthening, demonstrated a deep commitment to transforming the Nigerian economy and enhancing living standards for citizens.

He added, “Mr. President has shown both the vision and the determination to see through the reforms this nation needs. Now is not the time for cynicism, but for unity and constructive support as these diplomatic and economic efforts begin to translate into tangible improvements in people’s lives.”