Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, has declared openly the Nigerian Parliament’s preparedness to reinforce the prevailing relations between Nigeria and Switzerland. The intention is to bolster bilateral relationships and cultivate a more robust partnership between the two nations.
Abbas expressed his satisfaction with Nigeria’s role as the leading petroleum supplier to Switzerland, considering it a highly favorable development.
The Speaker declared this information during a meeting with Mr. Nicholas Lang, the Swiss Ambassador to Nigeria, held at his office in the National Assembly Complex in Abuja on Wednesday.
Present at the meeting were the Deputy Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu; the Majority Leader, Hon. (Prof.) Julius Ihonvbere; the Deputy Chief Whip, Hon. Adewunmi Oriyomi Onanuga; and the Minority Leader, Hon. Kingsley Chinda; Deputy Minority Leader, Hon. Aliyu Sani Madaki; and the Minority Whip, Hon. Ali Isa.
The statement from the Speaker’s media office relayed Abbas’s satisfaction with the visit, noting the importance of the Swiss diplomats being the inaugural foreign dignitaries to visit their office.
‘We are also particularly delighted and happy with all the messages you have rendered, particularly the bilateral issues: the extension of legislative and technical cooperation between your country and ours. We will be looking forward to it,’ the Speaker furthered.
During the meeting, Abbas hailed Switzerland for its recent appointment to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
‘What I just want to inform you is that the Nigerian House of Representatives is ever ready to partner with your country in every way possible – legislative, economic, social, cultural; we are very ready.’
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‘We want to call on you to continue to look at ways that we can collaborate. We are eager to learn. We are eager to come together and partner with you in every way possible, so that our legislatures will be strengthened, our economies will be strengthened and our cultural ties will be strengthened.’
‘I am very delighted that so many companies from Switzerland are in Nigeria, particularly on the Lagos axis. We are particularly excited also that Nigeria is one of your major suppliers of crude oil. It is a good beginning and I think we can build on that. We can do much more. There are so many things that we can be able to benefit from your country, while there are also many aspects that Nigeria can also be able to contribute to Switzerland.’
‘Let us put on our thinking caps and see how we can be able to consolidate on the already successful relationship that we have. We here are very willing and ready to support any initiative from the Swiss Government on how to strengthen our legislatures and all other sectors. Thank you so much for the visit and we look forward to more mutually-beneficial interactions with you.’
Mr. Lang, the Swiss Ambassador to Nigeria, Harped on the importance of Nigeria to Switzerland in his opening statement, urging for a strengthened and more dynamic bilateral relationship between the two countries.
In addition, the Ambassador cordially invited the House of Representatives to Switzerland for exchanges with the Swiss Parliament. Speaker Abbas acknowledged the invitation and assured that it would receive proper consideration.
Lang said: ‘Nigeria is our main provider of oil. No other country has the same importance in this regard. We have roughly 50 Swiss companies present in your country, most of them, of course, in the area of Lagos where the most important part of Nigeria’s economy is.’
‘The idea is to strengthen our relationships and that, of course, goes for all institutions, not only the Executive but very much also the Parliament – the Senate on the one hand and the House of Representatives on the other hand.’
‘The idea is to strengthen our relationships and that, of course, goes for all institutions, not only the Executive but very much also the Parliament – the Senate on the one hand and the House of Representatives on the other hand.’
Furthermore, the Ambassador extended a special invitation to the Speaker and the leadership of the House to participate in the commemoration of Switzerland’s National Day in Abuja on the 1st of August.