- UAE lauds Nigeria’s war against violent extremism
Deji Elumoye in Paris, France
President Muhammadu Buhari has urged Nigerians in Diaspora not to under no circumstances misbehave in their country of residence.
This is just as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has lauded Nigeria’s current vigorous war to stamp out violent extremism in the country.
Speaking on Friday in Paris while playing host to the Minister of State, Foreign Affairs of the UAE, Sheikh Shakboot Alnahyan, at the sidelines of the Paris Peace Forum, President Buhari described his countrymen and women as “competitive both at home and abroad”, and urged them to always abide by the rules of their host countries.
The president encouraged Nigerians in Diaspora to “subject themselves to the rules and standards of the country in which they live either as working class, or doing businesses”.
He said: “Nigerians are all over the place, very competitive. And the competitiveness starts from home, where they have acquired good education, gone into businesses, and then take all that abroad.”
The Nigerian leader welcomed the offer by UAE to partner with Nigeria in the areas of renewable energy, agriculture, infrastructure logistics, and provision of vaccines to further control the COVID-19 pandemic.
In his remarks, UAE Minister Shakboot Alnahyan said his country thinks very highly of President Buhari’s leadership, noting that he was striving to “build a better future for generations to come”.
According to him, there were lots of Nigerians in his country, “who add much value” assuring the president that the headwinds of the recent past in the relationship “are now behind us.
“We want to secure, deepen and strengthen the association for the future. We have a lot in common. We may be taking small steps, but they are leading somewhere”.
On the proposed investments in Nigeria, Alnahyan said it would be a win-win situation, which would bring hope and opportunities for people in both countries, adding that: “We want to come and add quality and value.”
He equally commended the Nigerian government for its robust tackling of violent extremism.
