The Federal Government has reiterated its readiness to formalise the socio-economic partnership between Nigeria and Brazil.
This was stated by the Vice President, Arc. Mohammed Namadi Sambo during a luncheon in his honour by the Vice President of Brazil, Michel Temer at the Itamaraty Palace, Brasilia, Brazil.
Vice President Sambo said that, ‘At the international scene, Nigeria and Brazil share common interests and concerns, especially on issues pertaining to developing countries’. This, he said ‘has reflected itself in the way and manner we collaborate and support each other in all international organisations that we belong’.
He stated that, ‘both Nigeria and Brazil also remain committed to the ideal of maintaining international peace and security within the context of sovereign equality of states and the establishment of a fair international system’.
Arc. Sambo commended Brazil’s spectacular rise to the position of the seventh largest economy in the world and other remarkable feats, attributing these to hard work and purposeful leadership while stating that Nigeria is aspiring to become one of the top 20 economies in the
world by year 20:20.
Vice President Sambo expressed his desire that the Mechanism for Strategic Dialogue between Nigeria and Brazil as signed will translate into a higher volume of trade and investment and will seek to attain such laudable feat in a short while, leading towards socio-economic prosperity. ‘NIGERIA’, he stressed, ‘REMAINS AN INVESTMENT HAVEN FOR BUSINESS’.
Earlier, Vice President Michel Temer of Brazil recalled that the visit of President Dilma Rouseff of Brazil to Nigeria in February this year gave rise to this bilateral meeting. He recalled further the cultural as well as political and economic ties between Nigeria and Brazil noting that the people of the Brazillian city of Bohia share the same ancestry of the Yoruba people of Nigeria with similarities in religious worship.
He pointed out that the relationship between the two countries extends even to sports as both countries are soccer playing and loving nations.
Vice President Temer stated that Nigeria supplies oil to Brazil while Brazil supplies sugar to Nigeria and that the implementation of the
Mechanism for Strategic Dialogue will lead to increased trade between them particularly in the areas of meat and poultry supply to Nigeria by Brazil. Both leaders at the end proposed a toast for the continuous friendship and mutually beneficial trade relations between the two nations.
Governor Idris Wada of Kogi state, Senator Babayo Gamawa, Minister of Power, Chinedu Nebo, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Samuel Ortorm, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda were amongst the dignitaries present.