‘Under Buhari, Nigeria is highly respected worldwide’ —Foreign Affairs Minister, Onyeama
by ebor cletus ralph jr
Geoffrey Onyeama, the minister of foreign affairs, claims that President Muhammadu Buhari’s repositioning of Nigeria over the course of the last seven years has earned it a high level of respect and appreciation from the international community.
Onyeama, who was speaking with journalists outside the 77th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, claimed that Nigeria has acquired international respect under Buhari’s leadership over the past seven years by positioning itself as a bulwark of democracy.
“We have been able to gain respect for Nigeria and secure Nigeria’s place as an important partner and player at the multilateral level,” Onyeama claimed following the conclusion of the high-level segment of the UNGA.
The Foreign Affairs Minister added that in seven years, Buhari had “showcased Nigeria as a champion of good governance and an important partner in the African sub-region and beyond.”
He said Nigeria’s participation in the assembly within the period afforded it the opportunity to present a positive image of the country.
“Within that period of time, we have been praised for the role we played in ensuring that democracy survived in The Gambia as well as in pushing for peace in the West African sub-region.
“We have been successful in areas such as getting through resolutions of the UN on the illicit financial flows, which we could not achieve for many years.
“We have been seen as a champion for nuclear disarmament and a nuclear-free world because we were very active in those areas.
“During this period, we have been at the forefront of actions to push for global justice and peace, advocating justice for the oppressed in the world
“The centrepiece of the event for us was the national statement by the president, which was very well received.
“He touched on sensitive national, regional and global issues. We had a good mix of bilateral meetings with other countries as well as engagements with the private sector,” he added.
