President Muhammadu Buhari has been described as a perennial optimist with a knack for strategies capable of turning obvious challenges into opportunity in a bid to advance the philosophy of his administration. A report from Abidjan said Nigerians residing in Cote D’Ivoire made the remarks when they held a reception for the Nigerian leader who attended the 5th European Union-African Union (EU-AU) Summit, which ended in Abidjan yesterday.
The President, who was received at the Houphuet Boigny Airport by his Ivoirien counterpart, President Alassane Ouattara, was accompanied by two state Governors – Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom state and Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi State – as well as the national leader of the ruling APC, Chief Bola Tinubu, and some Cabinet Ministers.
Several eminent Nigerians, who had earlier arrived Abidjan for the two-day summit, waited at the airport to welcome President Buhari. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama led the Nigerian delegation waiting at the airport which included the President of the African Development Bank, Akinwunmi Adesina; Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung; Minister of Interior, retired General Abdulrahman Dambazzau; and the National Security Adviser, Retired Major-Gen. Babagana Munguno.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Diaspora Affairs, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said she was excited that the Nigerian leader personally attended the forum to marshal out Nigeria’s stand on some of the major issues on the agenda of the summiteers. Mrs. Dabiri-Erewa hailed the representatives of Nigerians resident in Cote d’Ivoire for giving adequate priority to the preparations for the meeting.
Mrs. Dabiri-Erewa said the President participated actively in the working sessions on the summit theme, which was, “Investing in Youth for Sustainable Development.” The Special Assistant pointed out that Nigeria’s huge youth population necessitated the search for policy ideas, ways and means of harnessing the country’s resources for the welfare of its young citizenry.
She announced that President Buhari would meet with some African Heads of State and their EU counterparts on ways of translating the fall-out from the discussions at the summit to tangible policy thrusts for his administration.
