Tinubu Felicitates Friend And Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, on Re-Election For Record Fourth Term

• Reiterates Nigeria-Brazil multilateral cooperation and historical ties

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu has felicitated his friend and President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, on his re-election for a record fourth term.

Tinubu also reiterated Nigeria-Brazil multilateral cooperation and historical ties.

Tinubu, in a six-paragraph release issued on Monday stated, “I congratulate my friend, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, on his re-election for a record fourth term.

“Your renewed mandate offers an opportunity to strengthen the longstanding friendship and historical ties between Nigeria and Brazil.

“As two leading nations of the Global South, we can promote economic integration and advance our shared interests in a rapidly changing global order.

“I look forward to expanding cooperation in trade and investment, agriculture and food security, energy, oil and gas, manufacturing, science and technology, education, aviation, and cultural exchange.

“I affirm Nigeria’s continued commitment to working with Brazil to strengthen multilateral cooperation and advance shared priorities in Africa, South America, and across the Global South.

“On behalf of the people of Nigeria, I wish you a successful new term in office.”

Natasha Woos European Investors to Kogi, Renews Call for Ajaokuta Revival

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has wooed European investors to Kogi State, hosting ambassadors from Belgium, Denmark, Italy and Spain on a tour designed to showcase the state’s investment opportunities, cultural heritage and indigenous industries.

The visit, which featured engagements with local communities, artisans and cultural groups, provided an opportunity to explore potential economic and humanitarian partnerships while highlighting the commercial prospects of Kogi Central beyond its tourism attractions.

The diplomats visited historical landmarks in Lokoja, including Lord Lugard’s Rest House on Mount Patti and the confluence of the Niger and Benue rivers, before proceeding to Kogi Central for cultural activities and interactions with residents.

The Ambassador of Italy to Nigeria, Roberto Mengoni, expressed optimism about the prospects for collaboration, describing Kogi as a state with considerable potential.

“Kogi is very rich, and we look forward to partnership,” Mengoni said, while thanking Akpoti-Uduaghan for facilitating the visit.

The engagement also offered the European diplomats an opportunity to experience the traditions, hospitality and entrepreneurial activities of the Ebira people, with particular emphasis on the potential of locally produced goods to attract investment and access wider markets.

Belgium’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Pieter Leenknegt, expressed satisfaction with the experience, particularly the hiking expedition around the historic hills of Ihima, commending the opportunity to explore the area’s landscape, culture and cuisine.

The programme, according to a statement by the senator’s media office on Monday, included a visit to Obeiba Hill, where the diplomats sampled traditional delicacies, including akara, apapa and akamu.

They also witnessed indigenous production processes, including shea butter and palm kernel oil extraction, black soap making, pottery and traditional Ebira cloth weaving.

The statement added that the masquerade performance further exposed the visitors to the cultural identity and artistic traditions of the community.

Denmark’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Jens Ole Bach Hansen, praised the ingenuity of local artisans, particularly women engaged in pottery, traditional clothing and other indigenous crafts.

He said the products demonstrated the creativity and determination of the artisans, noting that their skills and enterprise could provide opportunities for economic growth, business development and access to larger markets.

Akpoti-Uduaghan said the visit was intended to demonstrate the economic potential of Kogi Central and draw international attention to the skills, industries and entrepreneurial capacity of its people.

According to her, the district’s development prospects extend beyond tourism to include indigenous manufacturing, traditional crafts and other productive activities capable of generating employment and improving livelihoods.

“To attract investment, we must give people the chance to see our strengths for themselves: our skills, our enterprise, our culture and our people,” the senator said.

She disclosed that discussions with the diplomats covered investment and humanitarian opportunities, expressing hope that the engagement would produce practical partnerships with lasting benefits for residents.

The senator said such partnerships could create opportunities for women, young people, artisans and tourism operators while strengthening local enterprises and improving the commercial prospects of indigenous products.

However, the statement added, the delegation’s planned visit to the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited could not take place because access to the facility was not approved despite a written request.

The diplomats could only view the complex from outside its gates.

The development disappointed Akpoti-Uduaghan, who renewed her call for the revival of the steel plant, describing it as critical to Nigeria’s industrial development ambitions.

“Ajaokuta remains central to the industrial future we want for our people, and I will continue to advocate for its revival,” she said.

The senator’s renewed appeal comes amid longstanding concerns over the continued non-operation of the steel complex, which has remained a focal point of national discussions on industrialisation, manufacturing capacity and economic diversification.

The revival of Ajaokuta has been widely regarded as an opportunity to stimulate domestic manufacturing, create jobs, develop supporting industries and strengthen local supply chains.

For Kogi State, the facility’s successful rehabilitation could also provide a significant boost to economic activities, with potential benefits for businesses and communities within and beyond the state.

Akpoti-Uduaghan’s decision to include the steel complex in the programme, the statement explained, underscored her effort to connect Kogi’s cultural and entrepreneurial strengths with broader opportunities for industrial investment.

The senator thanked community leaders, residents and artisans for welcoming the delegation and helping to showcase the cultural heritage of the Ebira people to an international audience.

She also acknowledged the ambassadors of Belgium, Denmark, Italy and Spain—Leenknegt, Bach Hansen, Mengoni and Félix Costales Artieda, respectively—for accepting the invitation and engaging with local communities.

The visit provided a platform for promoting Kogi Central’s tourism assets, indigenous industries and cultural attractions, with the senator expressing optimism that the engagement would translate into concrete investment commitments, expanded market access and sustainable economic opportunities for the district.