President of the Senate, Dr.
Abubakar Bukola Saraki, on Wednesday, addressed the Federal Assembly of the
Russian Federation in Moscow.
Saraki arrived Russia on Tuesday,
alongside other Nigerian lawmakers, at the invitation of the Chairperson of the
Federation Council, Valentina Matviyenko and was received by the Nigerian
Ambassador to Russia, Prof. Steve Ugba in Moscow.
Among the Nigerian delegation
are, Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, Chairman Senate
Committee on Youth and Sports, Senator Obinna Ogba, Chief Whip of the Senate,
Senator Olusola Adeyeye, Chairman Senate Committee on Airforce, Senator Duro Faseyi,
Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Army, Senator Ibrahim Danbaba and Chairman,
Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Senator Monsurat Sunmonu.
The three-day parliamentary visit
to Russia, according to a statement by Special Assistant to Saraki on New
Media, Olu Onemola, is “aimed at deepening legislative best practices and
further strengthening the relationship between both countries”.
Addressing the Russian Parliament
Wednesday morning, Saraki talked about the strength and entrepreneurial spirit of
Nigeria youth, especially in the areas of sports, arts and entertainment, while
beckoning on Russia to invest in Nigeria.
The following are 10 notable
points of Saraki’s address Wednesday morning.
THE WORLD CUP
“It is wonderful to be back in
your beautiful country, especially during the World Cup, and for this, I wish
to congratulate the Russian people for the successful hosting of the 2018 World
Cup tournament.
“The burst of colour, spectacle
and sportsmanship on display – as well as the smooth running of the event, are
a reflection of the level of planning, preparation and capacity on your part as
host nation. It is a vibrant symbol of global unity that serves as a most
fortuitous backdrop to our visit.”
THE INVITATION BY THE CHAIRPERSON
OF THE FEDERATION COUNCIL
“My first visit to Russia was in
October last year, to attend the IPU General Assembly where I met Valentina
Matviyenko, Chairperson of the Federation Council.
“She graciously extended an
invitation to me to visit the Russian Parliament. We are here today in this
hallowed chamber as guests of Madam Speaker and this honourable House, in
fulfillment of that promise.
“I thank you most sincerely,
Madam Speaker, for this kind gesture. I have every confidence that this will
mark the beginning of a new phase of inter-parliamentary cooperation between
our two nations, as well as a springboard for renewed vigour in Nigeria-Russia
relations in general.”
AFRICA, NIGERIA HAVING STRENGTH
IN ITS NUMBERS
“Africa is looking to the future,
and Nigeria is at the forefront of that push. Africa is the future… More than
half of the countries with the highest annual growth rate are on our continent,
and this has been the case since the Year 2000…
“Furthermore, a massive
demographic dividend is expected to deliver an unprecedented advantage by 2050,
when our continent will account for 40 percent of the world’s population — and
one in four persons on earth will be African.”
THE POWER AND INNOVATION OF
NIGERIA’S YOUNG PEOPLE
“The number of African youth
expected to reach working age by 2035 will exceed that of the rest of the
entire world combined.
“Nowhere is the surging power of
Africa’s youth more inescapable than in Nigeria. Ours is the most populous
country on the youngest continent, with some 68 percent of the Nigerian
population between 18 to 35 years of age. This youth demographic is
transforming every sphere of life in our country, especially with regard to
entrepreneurship, sports, arts and entertainment.”
NIGERIA, THE ‘GATEWAY’ TO AFRICA
“Fellow parliamentarians, as
leader of the Nigerian delegation to your country, my interest is the interest
of the Nigerian people; as yours is the interest of the people of Russia.
“The recalibration of the world
and the various power blocs is happening right before our eyes. In the emerging
global order, world powers are looking to Africa, and it is not difficult to
see why. Africa is not merely rising; Africa is here. There is a world of
opportunities on the continent. The 54 nations of Africa represent a huge
geographical bloc with enormous potential for investment and strategic
partnerships that will benefit only those that venture.”
WHY RUSSIA MUST RECKON WITH
NIGERIA
“Our position, therefore, is
simple: those who are serious about expanding their interests in Africa must
necessarily see Nigeria – the powerhouse in the region – as the gateway to the
continent.
“Russia should reckon with
Nigeria as the central area of focus in Africa, and take a more serious view of
its longstanding ties to our end of the world.”
SIMILARITIES BETWEEN RUSSIA AND
NIGERIA
“Our two countries share certain,
striking similarities. Our two nations are among the 10 most populous countries
in the world; and are among the Top 10 in gas reserves.
“With a population of nearly 190
million people, Nigeria is set to surpass the United States of America as the
third most populous country in the world by 2050.
“In terms of diversity, Russia at
190 ethnic groupings is not too far behind Nigeria’s 250… With Russia and
Nigeria projected to be the biggest economies in Europe and Africa respectively
in just three decades from now, it would be a travesty if we did not strive to
strengthen cooperation and partnership to reap the gains in terms of GDP
growth.”
ON NIGERIAN STARS: DAVIDO,
TIMAYA, WIZKID, TIWA SAVAGE, etc.
“Ours is the second largest film
industry in the world; and contemporary Nigerian music has gone global. I would
not be surprised if Nigerian stars like Timaya, WizKid, Davido or Tiwa Savage
are selling out concert halls in Moscow or St. Petersburg very soon, as they
have been doing in major cities around the world.”
THE SUPER EAGLES
“In sports, well, please allow me
to say humbly, that it will be difficult to take your eyes off Nigeria during
the ongoing World Cup tournament.
“If anything, we have already won
the battle of the football jerseys; the Super Eagles kit is an instant classic,
a coveted collector’s item, universally acclaimed as the best national kit in
Russia 2018.
“Naturally, the entire Nigerian
nation is behind our team, optimistic for a sterling performance in the rest of
the tournament and confident that our boys will now produce the sleek moves to
match the sleek looks.”
TERRORISM & HUMAN TRAFFICKING
“Fellow parliamentarians, there
are many other issues that call for closer cooperation between our two
countries – which contribute to sustainable peace in the larger world – and
these include, Terrorism and Human Trafficking.
“For one, Russia is currently one
of the destinations where young Nigerians are trafficked for sexual
exploitation. This is a worrying phenomenon for both our countries, and we
should develop common strategies for tackling the problem… we look to Russia to
join us in building stronger collaboration for the fight against this common
enemy.
“Terrorism, most significantly in
the shape of the Boko Haram sect, has continued to pose a serious challenge to
the internal security of Nigeria. When, at the height of the crisis, we were
having difficulty obtaining international support, Russia memorably saved the
day by supplying military equipment and assisting us with the training of
personnel. We are grateful that you did not abandon us in our hour of need.
While Boko Haram is largely decimated now, the threat remains, and new
terrorism challenges are arising…”
The delegation is expected to
return to Nigeria Friday 22nd June.
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