By George Ozalla
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has said Nigeria is determined to forge stronger ties with Australia, particularly in areas such as mining and steel development.
Akpabio stated this in Abuja on Monday while hosting the Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives, Milton Dick, to a dinner attended by lawmakers, diplomats, administrators and other policymakers.
He said Nigeria was not only welcoming the Australian delegation but was also interested in strengthening relations between both countries, noting that Nigeria and Australia had a lot in common as federal states.
“Nigeria is not only welcoming, we are also determined to forge stronger ties with Australia. We have a lot to learn from Australia in the area of mining and steel development,” Akpabio said.
He added: “We share a lot in common as federal states. I share a toast to our continued friendship and cooperation between our two nations.”
The Senate President also pledged Nigeria’s support for Dick’s aspiration to become the 32nd President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
Akpabio said Dick had devoted considerable time to serving in various organs of the IPU as an executive member and had demonstrated commitment to the organisation’s activities.
“I am happy to note that in the affairs of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, our guest is always present. He is someone I always admire in the executive council of the IPU,” he said.
Akpabio said he supported Dick’s aspiration after consultations with the Speaker of the House of Representatives and members of the Nigerian delegation to the IPU.
“So when I heard that he was aspiring to be the President of the IPU, I didn’t care whether he was coming from the Asia Pacific region or the Africa Group or wherever he came from. I can attest to his commitment in service,” he said.
He further stated that Nigeria’s support would also extend to colleagues from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) bloc, saying he had consulted some of them on the matter.
Akpabio said Dick had a lot to contribute to the development of the IPU and expressed confidence that his experience would be useful to the organisation.
“We believe you have a lot to contribute to making the IPU greater than what it is today,” he said.
The Senate President also identified the failure of dialogue as a major factor in some of the conflicts affecting the world, stressing the importance of parliamentary diplomacy in promoting peace.
He said the IPU, in partnership with the United Nations, had an important role to play in fostering peace through dialogue among parliamentarians.
In his goodwill message, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanlaiye, thanked Akpabio for hosting the Australian delegation on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Enikanlaiye disclosed that he had earlier hosted the delegation, where discussions were held on bilateral relations between Nigeria and Australia, which he said were expected to provide a foundation for further engagement with the leadership of the National Assembly.
He identified mining, agriculture, livestock production, forestry management and climate action as some of the areas where both countries could strengthen cooperation.
“Distance need not be a barrier to fostering the kind of cooperation that we seek in critical areas like mining, agriculture, livestock production, forestry management and climate action,” he said.
The minister also called for stronger parliamentary engagement between both countries, saying foreign policy should not be the exclusive preserve of the executive.
“We believe the collaboration between parliaments which is the cornerstone of the IPU is critical to vibrant foreign policy that focuses on people-to-people contact,” Enikanlaiye said.
Dick expressed appreciation for the reception he received in Nigeria, saying the experience had motivated his aspiration to become the 32nd President of the IPU.
He thanked Akpabio for his support and promised that if elected, he would be a voice for all members of the international parliamentary organisation.
