BY Fredrick Nwabufo
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday said that he would work more closely with other countries facing the challenge of falling oil prices “to rapidly move Nigeria away from dependence on crude oil exports for economic survival”.
Speaking at an audience with Fahad Abdullah Sefyan, the new ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Nigeria, Buhari affirmed his administration’s commitment to faster development of Nigeria’s non-oil sectors and the speedy diversification of the country’s economy.
‘‘For more than 30 years, Nigeria has depended on oil as its major source of revenue at the expense of agriculture and the non-oil sector, which could be the mainstay of our economy,” he said.
“As oil exporting countries facing similar challenges due to the down turn in the international price of crude oil, we should be working closer together. Saudi Arabia has done excellently in manufacturing, building of infrastructure and exploration of solid minerals and I believe that greater bilateral cooperation between us in this regard will be mutually beneficial.”
According to Femi Adesina, presidential spokesman, Buhari said that in keeping with his commitment to the accelerated development of Nigeria’s non-oil sector, the federal government would ensure that all pending agreements on trade and economic relations with other countries are speedily concluded and signed.
Buhari, who also received Hakan Cakil, the new ambassador of Turkey, and Ibrahim Bushra, the new ambassador of Sudan, commended Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Sudan for their cooperation with Nigeria in the war against terrorism.
“The president restated his conviction that the war against terrorism in Nigeria and other countries can only be won with greater and more effective international collaboration,” Adesina said.
“All the new ambassadors assured Buhari that they will work very hard to boost trade and economic relations between Nigeria and their respective countries.”
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