President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday returned to Nigeria from London, the United Kingdom after 19 days to a warm reception by some top officials of his administration.
He touched down at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja at about 18:15 pm.
At the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja to welcome the president include the President’s Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammed Bello, security chiefs as well as some presidential aides.
Buhari had left Nigeria on July 26 for London where he joined other world leaders at the Global Education Summit on Financing Global Partnership for Education (GPE) 2021-2025,to make a firm commitment to increase funding of the education sector. Also, he spent a few days for his medical check-up.
Co-hosted by British prime minister, Mr Boris Johnson and President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, the summit successfully generated about $4 billion out of the targeted $5 billion for the transformation of the education sector in low-income countries, including Nigeria.
The President, who actively participated in the activities of the summit, appeared on a panel of discussants with a live audience alongside his counterparts from other African countries including President Kenyatta, President Nana Akufo-Addo (Ghana), President Faure Eyadema (Togo) and President Lazarus Chakwera (Malawi).
Also, he pledged to increase Nigeria’s education budget by as much as 50 per cent over the next two years, promising: “We commit to progressively increase our annual domestic education expenditure by 50 per cent over the next two years and up to 100% by 2025 beyond the 20 per cent global benchmark.”
In the long term, he promised that budgetary allocation to the sector would witness a progressive increase to about 100 per cent in the next four years.
“We commit to progressively increasing our annual domestic education expenditure by 50 per cent over the next two years and up to 100 per cent by 2025 beyond the 20% global benchmark,” he was quoted to have said in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina.
Subsequently, the Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, who was also at the event said Nigeria is expected to receive the sum of $125 million as support from the UK to boost the education sector.
Nwajiuba disclosed this on Tuesday when he made an appearance on Channels TV’s Politics Today.
Besides, he held bilateral meetings with British Prime Minister and the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Baroness Patricia Scotland, at the sidelines of the summit.
During the bilateral talks, Buhari and Johnson appraised the war against different forms of terrorism in Nigeria and agreed that the judicial process is allowed to run its course.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, in a statement, quoted the two leaders saying it was important that ”the judicial process runs without interference, no matter who was involved.”
He said the President also briefed the Prime Minister on Nigeria’s power needs and efforts being made, as well as initiatives geared at achieving food security.
Buhari also reviewed the security situation in the different regions of the country, while Johnson pledged Britain’s preparedness to lend a helping hand.
“We are available to help,” Adesina quoted the British PM as saying.
He added that “The two leaders equally discussed how to increase trade between the two countries, develop solar and wind power, the leadership of the Commonwealth going forward and other matters of mutual interest.”
During the bilateral meeting with the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Buhari said Nigeria would be glad to receive support from the Commonwealth in diverse areas of needs and challenges.
He said Nigeria is doing a lot to address food security through heavy investment in agriculture and tackle security issues confronting the country in different regions.
He, therefore, welcomed the offer of assistance by the Commonwealth scribe.
Baroness Scotland said the Commonwealth had developed programmes on agribusiness, adding value to agriculture products for young people to get involved, climate change, criminal justice reforms, police reforms, and security.
She, therefore, invited Nigeria to benefit from technical assistance that could be provided.
She added that since Buhari is the Champion for Anti-Corruption in Africa, the Commonwealth had developed anti-corruption benchmark tools, and would like to work with Nigeria in both public and private sectors.
Other areas the Commonwealth could assist, according to her, include countering violent extremism, trade, and modalities to implement the African Continental Free Trade Agreement
Before departing London, Buhari reportedly visited former Lagos State Governor and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, who is believed to be on a medical trip to London.
The President after the summit stayed back to see his doctors for medical check-up.
Adesina had in a statement he issued on July 26 disclosed that his principal would meet with his doctors after the summit and would be back in the country the second week of August.
He had in the statement said, “The Summit, which will be co-hosted by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, and the President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, will bring together Heads of State and Government as well as stakeholders and youth leaders, and provide a platform for partners to chart a way forward towards transforming education systems in partner countries, through the exchange of best practices.
“It will also offer the opportunity for leaders to make 5-year pledges to support GPE’s work to help transform education systems in up to 90 countries and territories.
“Deliberations at the Summit will focus on: The Power of Education –A Conversation between Global Champions; Transforming Education for Girls; Financing for Impact and Recovery and; What Now? Priorities for Transforming Education in the Coming Five Years, among others.”
The statement further said that President Buhari would hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
“After the Summit, the President will spend a few days for an earlier scheduled medical check-up.
“He is due back by the second week of August 2021”.
