President Muhammadu Buhari will on Sunday, January 17, embark on a
three-day official visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
In the course of the visit, President Buhari will join the Secretary
General of the United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki Moon, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin
Zayed Al-Nahyan of Abu Dhabi and other participants as a special guest of
honour at this year’s edition of the World Future Energy Summit.
The Summit which is now in its ninth year of existence has developed into
one of the world’s most influential events dedicated to advancing future
energy, energy efficiency and clean technologies.
In a move signalling Nigeria’s reengagement with the Middle-East region,
President Buhari will also lead a team of his ministers to bilateral talks
with the government of the UAE.
After the talks, a number of agreements between both countries on
economic, trade and bilateral relations are expected to be signed.
From the visit, Nigeria also expects to get more support from the UAE for
its war against terrorism and the recovery of Nigeria’s stolen funds.
President Buhari is also scheduled to meet with leading UAE businessmen
who are interested in Nigeria with a view to encouraging greater
investment inflows to critical sectors such as power supply, oil, gas and
agriculture.
The President, who will be accompanied by the ministers of Power, Works
and Housing, Petroleum, Environment, Justice, Trade and Investment,
Finance and Foreign Affairs, as well as the National Security Adviser,
will also meet with Nigerian professionals in the UAE before returning to
Abuja on Tuesday, January 19.