TheCable

Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, has defended rising criticisms of President Muhammadu Buhari’s foreign trips, saying we’re in a global world and the president cannot afford to sit back in his country. 

Speaking with journalists on Wednesday after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by the president, Mohammed said the country’s economy has benefitted from the foreign trips.

He stated that the president’s trips were reviewed during the FEC meeting, saying the country had started witnessing influx of foreign capital into the economy.

“If you look at the various trips the president undertook towards the end of last year, that is the trip to Iran, it was a conference by gas exporting countries.

“Nigeria is more of a gas exporting country than actually an oil country, and with the decline in the price of crude [oil], it was about time that Nigeria put much more emphasis and that was the meeting he attended.

“That meeting also provided the opportunity for the various heads of state also to even talk about the falling price of crude because don’t forget that. Incidentally, most of the countries that export gas also export crude.

“So, it was an opportunity to address the falling price of crude.

“You see, the world today is so global that you cannot stay in your country and think that what is happening elsewhere would not affect you and you are supposed to be there also to contribute and let the people see it from the perspective of your country.”

He maintained that the president had succeeded in addressing the fear of insecurity, corruption and terrorism being expressed by foreign investors.

“One thing that nobody can fault this president on is his determination to fight these ills,” he said. “Mr President’s presence in these fora is very crucial even to the economy back at home.’’

Amina Muhammed, minister of environment, who also addressed the correspondents on the outcome of the meeting, said the president’s foreign engagements had been yielding stronger partnerships with the relevant countries.

She explained that Nigeria’s participation at the Paris Climate Change conference was a unique opportunity to articulate the country’s position on climate changes and how it aggravated security challenges in the country and the West African region.

Muhammed also said the Gas Exporting Forum held in Teheran, Iran, assisted Nigeria to enhance efforts aimed at attracting joint investment in the Gas sector, saying: “The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Malta also addressed the issues of migration, and countering violent extremism and radicalization as well as strategies of tackling corruption which are central to the current security challenges facing Nigeria.”