What Buhari wants from G7

By Ben Agande

ABUJA — President Muhammadu Buhari is presenting a 9-
point demands to The Group of Seven (G7), an informal bloc
of industrialized countries of the world. He arrived Munich,
Germany, yesterday, to honour the invitation of the G7.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and
Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, in a statement from Germany,
said President Buhari was armed with the “wish list” of
Nigeria in line with the demand of the Group of Seven (G7)
industrialized countries.

It will be recalled that immediately after Buhari’s victory at
the presidential elections, the G7 requested the then
President-elect to prepare a shopping list and come with it
for their consideration in what is seen as an excellent
goodwill gesture towards the new leader and the country.
Malam Garba Shehu in the statement said top on the list of
the requests President Buhari will tender before the G7
leaders is the problem of security.
He quoted the president as saying that “we have a problem
which they know.”

He quoted the President as saying that he had used every
opportunity at his disposal ahead of this meeting to discuss
the country’s needs with specific reference to terrorism and
development needs at person-to-person meetings and phone
conversations with some of the G7 leaders.

According to him, apart from terrorism, the president will also
need the support of the industrialized nations in the area of
economy, infrastructure, power and energy, and corruption.
Other areas the president is asking for G7 meeting’s
assistance include increased Foreign Direct Investment (FDI),
enhanced transparency in elections, environment and good
governance.

President Buhari had announced that the leaders of the
industrialized nations have shown a preparedness to work
with Nigeria to help the country out of her problems.
Meeting with world leaders
President Buhari will hold meetings on the sidelines with the
host, German Chancellor Angela Merkel; the French
President, Francois Hollande; Canadian Prime Minister,
Stephen Harper; the Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe
and the World Bank President, Dr. Jim Yong Kim.

On his arrival in Munich, President Buhari, who was
accompanied by Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State;
former Governor Babatunde Fashola, Gen. A. Dambazau
(rtd.) and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, Amb. Paul B. Lolo.was received by the Vice Minister-
President of Bavaria, Mrs. Inge Aigner.
The statement added that “before leaving Munich for home
tomorrow, President Buhari will hold bilateral talks with the
Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and Prime Minister
Stephen Harper of Canada on the sidelines of the G-7
Outreach Programme.

“He is also expected to meet President Barack Obama,
President Francois Hollande of France, Prime Minister David
Cameron of Britain, and other G-7 leaders in the course of
the Outreach Session and a working lunch at the Elmau
Castle.”

Other invited Heads of State and international institutions
who will join President Buhari at the working session with G-7
leaders tomorrow at Elmau include President Jacob Zuma of
South Africa, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia,
President Macky Sall of Senegal, President Beji Caid Essebsi
of Tunisia and Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn of
Ethiopia.

Others are Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi of Iraq, the
Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki Moon,
the Secretary-General of the OECD, Mr. Angel Gurria, the
Managing Director of the IMF, Mrs. Christine Largarde; the
President of the World Bank, Dr. Jim Yong Kim; the Director-
General of the International Labour Organistion, Mr. Guy
Rider; the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mrs.
Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma and the Director-General of the
World Trade Organisation are also scheduled to participate in
today’s Outreach Session with G-7 leaders.

The Group of Seven (G7) is an informal bloc of industrialized
democracies comprising the United States, Canada, France,
Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom. The group
meets annually to discuss issues such as global economic
governance, international security, and energy policy.
It will be recalled that after his victory, a letter of invitation
to a meeting with the Group of seven (G7) countries in
Europe and America was handed to him by the German
Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Michael Zenner.

Zenner, who was at the Defence House in Abuja to felicitate
with Buhari on his electoral victory, said that the letter of
invitation was officially written and signed by the German
Chancellor, Angela Merkel to Buhari.
Speaking to Journalists, Zenner said: “I am here to
congratulate the President-Elect, Gen. Buhari on his election
and handed over to him the letter from the German
Chancellor inviting him to Germany.

“We have a very deep and intense relationship with Nigeria
and there are lot of areas where we can deepen our relation
and develop them further such as in the area of economy,
energy among others.

“We have a bi-national commission with Nigeria and we are
one of the countries with which Nigeria has this Bi-National
Commission and it covers the whole range of political,
economic and security areas. There are many areas in which
we can move further and deepen our very close cooperation”.

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