Buhari’s personality earns Nigeria respect internationally - Onyeama

By our correspondent

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama has justified the international shuttles of President Muhammadu Buhari saying that it has earned respect for the country from the international community.

Onyeama said yesterday while presenting the Foreign Affairs progress report of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration at the 22nd edition of the Presidential Scorecard Series in Abuja yesterday, that the President deserved to visit more countries.

Onyeama was reacting to a question as to whether the President’s frequent foreign trips have yielded enough returns for the country.

He said Buhari has been the most influential foreign minister in the history of this country, and that the affection and respect he has earned internationally is breathtaking.

There is a lot that that been achieved for Nigeria, he said, adding that a lot of his personal engagements with countries have raised the confidence that Nigeria has among countries of the world.

“I will even have him visit more countries if I have my way,” he said.

According to him, Nigeria looks to be a member of the security council, and as such it has to show its presence in so many countries, and that besides, the country needs the African market.

“We need to have our presence in so many countries, but we cannot reduce too much if we want to become the country that we want to become,” he noted.

Answering a question on the effect new naira note swap, he said some Ambassadors have come to ask him about the challenges they are having regarding the Naira redesign, but that it is essentially the Finance ministry that should address that.

He said Nigeria hopes to take African slot at the United Nations Security Council and is obliged to show examples to justify that it deserves to be the African country to be in the UN permanent seat. He said, for example, that Nigeria is the only country that has a permanent seat on the African Union.