Buhari back to Abuja from Paris

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday, returned to Abuja from Paris, France, where he attended African Finance Summit.

The presidential aircraft, conveying the president and some of his aides, landed at the Presidential Wing of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja at about 3.52 pm.

While in Paris, the Nigerian leader participated fully in the Financing Africa Summit, held at Grande Palais Ephemere on Tuesday, with the theme: “External Financing and debt Treatment”.

The president also engaged in various bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit.

At the opening of the summit on Tuesday, Buhari called on European countries and global financial institutions to consider reducing the devastating effects of COVID-19 pandemic on African economies by restructuring debt portfolios and providing complete debt relief.

He observed that many African countries were already experiencing debt distress and the debt service suspension by France and the G-20 was not far-reaching enough.

Buhari also stressed the need for more sustainable and affordable financing solutions, including debt relief and further debt restructuring.

He also called for release of vaccines to Africa which, he said, had been left behind in the protection of majority of its citizens.

On May 19, Buhari and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, engaged in bilateral talks, where they both agreed to cooperate in fighting insecurity

The two leaders expressed the countries’ commitment to working together to fight insecurity bedevilling the Lake Chad basin area and the entire Sahel.

Macron pledged his unflinching support for Nigeria and its people regarding the security challenges currently facing the country.

Buhari also met with some investors, including the Chairman/CEO of Total, Patrick Pouyanne, Executive Vice President, AirBus, Silvere Delaunay and Chairman of the Board of a software company, Daussault Systems, Florence Verzelen.