Adedapo Adesanya
By Adedapo Adesanya
President Muhammadu Buhari has assured the Iranian Vice President of the readiness of Nigeria to strengthen existing relations with the Islamic Republic, especially in the areas of energy and agriculture production.
President Buhari said this during a courtesy call on him by the Iranian Vice President, Mr Mohsen Mansouri, on the sidelines of the United Nations Summit taking place in Doha, the capital city of the State of Qatar.
Recall that Business Post had reported that the Nigerian Head of State was in the Gulf state as part of the 5th United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LCDs), which is held once every decade.
Nigeria is there to support and liaise with the most vulnerable countries to see how partnerships can help meet their development challenges. As Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria is also looking through areas in which the Nigerian government has provided various forms of assistance over time and then improved on them.
“As most of these countries struggle to find sustainable solutions to challenges of poverty, adverse effects of climate change, food, and energy crises as well as high-debt burden, among others, the Nigerian leader will vigorously reiterate the need for sustainable solutions for countries facing these severe challenges,” a statement from the Presidency said.
The President speaking to the Iranian delegation, said, “I have interacted with Iranians over many years, especially when I was the Petroleum Minister, and understand the country and its people.
“I, therefore, welcome the strengthening of relations between our countries, as we have complementarities, especially in energy production.”
President Buhari also told his guest about the recent election in Nigeria and the fact that a new President would be taking over in less than three months.
He further hoped that the strong relations he had built between the two countries would continue to endure in the new administration.
The Iranian Vice President said he was glad to meet with the Nigerian leader, understanding fully that the two nations, with their rich human and natural resources and the attendant wealth accrued, need to cooperate in other areas such as Agriculture.
With Iran currently facing international sanctions over nuclear and other issues, Mr Mansouri stressed that as leaders in their respective regions, it was important for the two countries to push for multilateralism to be the order of the day and avoid a unipolar world.
He added that the way forward is to set up and strengthen a joint commission between the two countries at the highest levels.
