Osinbajo seeks international collaboration for recovery

Vice-President Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) has said stronger international cooperation and collaboration among countries will be crucial in addressing the harsh effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on economies and livelihoods.

Osinbajo stated this on Monday at the 8th German-Nigerian Business Forum, which held virtually.

The event featured presentations by representatives of the German and Nigerian business communities.

A statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, Mr Laolu Akande, quoted Osinbajo as saying that the international collaboration would expedite economic recovery.

Emphasizing the importance of building stronger collaboration and cooperation post-COVID-19, the Vice President said: “As it turned out, the pandemic is no respecter of borders, and has forced us to ponder on the importance of collaboration and international cooperation in solving some of our most pressing problems.”

According to him, “2020 will probably go down as perhaps the most challenging year in recent global history. No one can be blamed for the circumstances that led to it. However, history will hold us responsible as individual nations and collectively, if we do not see and seize the immense opportunities that the moment presents.

“Bilateral cooperation is a major plank of that effort. We must use the German Nigeria Forum to snatch growth and prosperity for our countries from the jaws of the pandemic.”

On the German-Nigerian business cooperation, the Vice President said: “There are several reasons why Nigeria and Germany’s economic relationship is an important and natural one.

“With its population of nearly 200 million people and as the largest economy in Africa, Nigeria is a natural partner of Germany, which is also the largest economy in the European Union and also its most populous country. Both countries have a shared experience of paving the way in their respective continents and serve as strategic entry points for investors across industries.”

Osinbajo noted that “cooperation between our countries and between sectors is now more important than ever and this forum is an essential platform for deliberating on the mutually beneficial ways that we can achieve our shared objectives as nations”.

“We already have an excellent example: the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI), a power infrastructure upgrade and modernization programme, agreed to by the Nigerian government and Siemens AG of Germany, with the support of the German Government.”

Present at the event were Nigeria’s Ambassador to Germany, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar; Germany’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador Birgitt Ory; the CEO of Afrika-Verein, Christoph Kannengiesser, among others.