Niger Republic awards Buhari highest award

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday in Abuja congratulated Mahamadou Issoufou, the outgoing President of the Niger Republic, on completing his second term and receiving the coveted Mo Ibrahim Prize for African Leadership in 2020, describing him as a worthy African leader.

President Buhari congratulated President Issoufou on receiving the highest national award of the Niger Republic, the Grand Croix Des Ordres Nationals Du Niger, for upholding the tenets of democracy, developing his country’s economy, and consolidating the friendly ties that existed between the two countries.

“Mr. President, let me start by congratulating you on the successful completion of your second term as President of our sister country, the Republic of Niger.  I also congratulate the good people of Niger for the successful conduct of a free, fair and credible election. “The achievements during your tenure as President have been widely acclaimed including through your recent award of the Mo Ibrahim Prize. You have earned the respect and affection of your people at home and your brethren across the border in Nigeria,’’ he said.

President Buhari said his first trip after taking office in 2015 was to the Niger Republic, adding that his choice of a neighboring country underscored the importance and consistency of the two countries’ ties.

“Nigeria-Niger relations are based on a long common border and shared cultural and historical roots. Relations between the two countries have, over the years, been very cordial and fraternal. There is a spirit of good neighbourliness between us. “Nigeria’s borders with Niger have always been largely peaceful. There have been no serious border conflicts between the two countries. “Each country has based its diplomatic relations upon non-interference in the internal affairs of the other. It is therefore gratifying to state that Niger has remained one of the most trusted and reliable neighbours of Nigeria,’’ the President added.

President Buhari said the cultural similarity between both countries, which include common languages such as Hausa, Kanuri and Fulfude and a common border of one thousand five hundred (1500) kilometres, further strengthened good relations, adding that Nigeria and Niger “refused to be divided and alienated by the artificial borders imposed by the former colonial powers.’’

He said President Issoufou’s election in 2011 marked a turning point in the two countries’ relationship, as the frontier of cooperation widened and mutual confidence grew, while congratulating President-elect Mohamed Bazoum on his election victory.

President Buhari urged the President-elect of Niger to build on the achievements of his predecessor in office. “Many landmark projects were initiated and successfully executed, among which was the successful border re-demarcation exercise without any incident. The socio-economic partnership resulted in the ground-breaking ceremony of a railway project from the North West of Nigeria to Maradi in Niger, which is in furtherance of regional and continental integration, joint venture and inter-state trade.

“The military cooperation that has availed the Nigerian Intelligence community information on the activities of terrorists is additional evidence of this solidarity. It was against this backdrop that Niger agreed to become part of the multinational effort to tackle insurgents’ activities across the borders of Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad Republics. “As you know, this culminated in the establishment of the Multi-National Joint Task Force under the auspices of the Lake Chad Basin Commission, with Sector 4 based in Diffa, Republic of Niger,’’ he said.

President Buhari also stated that some of Nigeria’s prestigious military institutions, such as the Armed Forces Command and Staff College in Jaji and the National War College in Abuja, as well as the Police Academies in Gwoza and Kano, have provided security officers from the neighboring country with training.

President Issoufou thanked President Buhari and all Nigerians for their support during his ten years as the country’s leader, especially during his tenure as ECOWAS Chairman, describing Nigeria as his “second home.”

President Buhari was given the Nigerien President’s highest national award for his “fraternity, vigour, patriotism, and determination to drive Africa forward, beginning from the West Coast,” according to the Nigerien President.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, said the Nigerien President distinguished himself in leadership at both national and regional levels, leaving a legacy of avoiding the trap of altering the constitution to prolong his stay in office. Onyeama said the Mo Ibrahim award was most deserved.

Onyeama added the Mo Ibrahim award was most deserved.