National News
We can make the Commonwealth a real global power – Buhari
We can make the Commonwealth a real global power – Buhari
WE CAN MAKE THE COMMONWEALTH A REAL GLOBAL POWER
Why should our 54 countries not lend weight to each other in international bodies, compounding our influence as the EU does?
Muhammadu Buhari
What becomes of the Commonwealth should one of its 15 members that are not a republic join those 39 others which are? With Jamaica considering such a move, this question is being asked. But it is misplaced: the modern Commonwealth was constituted in 1949 specifically to accommodate a republic – newly independent India – precisely after such constitutional change.
Still, it is right to debate the Commonwealth’s future. Though perfectly sustainable in its current form, it would be a disservice to its members should current levels of co-operation be the limit of our aspirations.
For a start, we should strive to reduce trade barriers, given the unity nearly all of us hold through the English language, jurisprudence and education systems. We might explore grouping more readily together at intergovernmental forums such as the United Nations to deliver outcomes for one member individually or all collectively. We should work closer on defence interoperability and mutual support in the fight against global terrorism – now centred on Africa, and which threatens new waves of refugees into the West.
READ ALSO: IOM Chief Extols Achievements Of NIDCOM
Some will point to factors such as Commonwealth countries’ membership in regional trade blocs, UN ballots with members voting in opposite ways and a lack of military compatibility as proof that closer cooperation cannot be achieved. It is possible to prove these people wrong – but only if we attempt to do so.
The forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) this June should be a moment when the potential for our club is reimagined. This bi-annual senior decision-making body is being hosted by Rwanda: a republic no less, and prescient, when the largest contingent of Commonwealth countries is African.
Not far from the official agenda will be the question of how Brexit will continue to affect us all.
Already the U.K. Global Tariff (UKGT) has reduced, removed or simplified tax on thousands of imported goods, which is an important step in reconfiguring Commonwealth trade. When the club’s largest economy was unable to practice the free trade it long preached, others had little incentive to lower barriers. Association within their own trade blocs is not prohibitive. There is still much more that members can do inside their respective frameworks.
A number of the Commonwealth’s African members have now signed product-based trade agreements with the UK. But a potential deal with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), set to become the world’s largest free trade area, heralds the greatest opportunity.
The UK signed the world’s first memorandum of understanding with the nascent bloc last year, with a future deal securing free trade simultaneously with nineteen African Commonwealth members, collectively representing the majority of Africa’s GDP. It would likely presage further agreements between AfCFTA and other members, further opening intra-Commonwealth trade.
With trade could come greater defence cooperation. African Commonwealth members are active in many theatres across the continent, whether battling ISIS-affiliated militants across the Sahel region in the West, the Horn of Africa in the East, or Mozambique in the South. Arms and defensive equipment are part of the solution.
There is no reason why one of the world’s foremost military manufacturers should not sell more widely to our association when it is a group of allies. When Britain does not, they must look elsewhere. Today we have a mosaic of incompatible systems. But particularly in Africa, where members find themselves on the same missions, interoperability would make a material impact on the ground.
And in diplomacy, when trade and defence ties are drawn closer, so too do geopolitical interests. The EU’s 27 members tend to have each other’s backs in, for instance, UN votes. Why should the 54 Commonwealth partners not similarly organise, lending weight to each other in such bodies and wielding more influence?
At CHOGM, these new opportunities can be grasped. What holds us back is only the limit of our ambition. For those who say this cannot be done, I say we will never know until we try.
Muhammadu Buhari is President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
National News
At Launch Of Ethiopia’s GLI, VP Shettima Urges Practical Action Against Climate Change
At Launch Of Ethiopia’s GLI, VP Shettima Urges Practical Action Against Climate Change
** Says Nigeria, Ethiopia have the largest stake in Africa’s future by keeping continent green
By: Our Reporter
Vice President Kashim Shettima has called on nations of the world to be decisive about combating climate change, saying it is a danger that must be arrested with practical actions.
According to him, while the global threat is not one that can be resolved in a conference room, it requires each country to respond to the peculiarities of the ecological burdens confronting them.
The Nigerian Vice President, who stated this on Friday during the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative (GLI), in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, said he was delighted to share in the joy of Ethiopia’s resolve to confront the threat posed by climate change “with clarity, courage, and conviction.”
The Ethiopian Green Legacy Programme, which is designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change, targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
Senator Shettima, who is in the East African country for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali, implored nations to enhance their climate plans by doubling their adaptation and mitigation efforts.
He said, “We have long accepted that climate change is not a problem to be solved in a conference room; it is a danger we must arrest with practical actions, with each nation rising to the occasion by responding to the peculiarities of the ecological burdens they face.
“Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative is one such response. It is an inspiring blueprint to reimagine the future. The promise of GLI is the dream of every nation. It is a lesson in vision, in purpose, and in audacity. For those of us who have followed this programme, the numbers are staggering, but the impact is even more compelling.
“To plant 20 billion seedlings within four years, to establish over 20,000 nurseries, and to create hundreds of thousands of green jobs is to show that the future is something we must plant, nurture, and build.”
VP Shettima noted that he was not in Ethiopia to only share in the country’s joy and exchange ideas but to also convey what he described as the deep and abiding solidarity of his boss, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the people of Nigeria.
Applauding those who made the Green Legacy Initiative a reality, he assured Ethiopia of Nigeria’s unflinching support, adding that both countries have the largest stake in Africa’s future.
“Ethiopia and Nigeria are the two most populous countries in Africa. This distinction is not just statistical; it is existential. It means we have the largest stake in Africa’s future. It means that more of our people are exposed to the peril of climate change, and it also means that we face the highest cost of inaction.
“This is why we are not mere spectators in this fight. We are partners. We are participants. And we are prepared to play our part to keep Africa green,” the Vice President pledged, just as he said it is the promise Nigeria and other nations have been making at the Conferences of the Parties (COP) every year.
“It is the pledge we renewed at the last COP in Azerbaijan. And today, we gather not only to stand by this promise but to celebrate the path Ethiopia has illuminated for the world,” he added.
Senator Shettima thanked the government and people of Ethiopia for the warmth and generosity extended to him and other members of the Nigerian delegation.
He said they felt at home, “not just because of the hospitality shown to them, but because the launch of the Green Legacy Programme resonates with the aspirations “to leave behind a planet fit for the dreams of generations to come.
In his address at the event, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed called on African countries to make the Green Legacy a culture, adding that Ethiopia was proud of Nigeria and its bold move to embrace the green initiative.
The Prime Minister called for partnership across African countries, stating that it was time to place less emphasis on foreign aid and begin to focus more on indigenous and home-grown domestic ideas and visions.
“This year’s Green Legacy is to rise by planting, and it is in consonance with our plan to shock the world with our Green Legacy vision. We never received any aid when we set out to achieve our 20 billion tree planting initiative.
“We thank Nigeria for supporting and accepting this initiative. With its population and growing economy, we are sure that the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as exemplified by the esteemed presence of Vice President Kashim Shettima, will go a long way in raising the awareness and collaborative effort needed amongst African countries,” the Prime Minister said.
He further expressed optimism that with Ethiopia’s hosting of the forthcoming United Nations summit on Climate Change, the stage is set for all hands to be on deck to achieve one of Ethiopia’s biggest green revolution plans.
Earlier in the day, Vice President Shettima was guided through Ethiopia’s Unity Park, Science Museum, and the Adwa Victory Memorial Museum, which showcase Ethiopia’s historic and transformative trajectory.
At Launch Of Ethiopia’s GLI, VP Shettima Urges Practical Action Against Climate Change
VP Shettima Arrives For Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme Launch
By: Our Reporter
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived at the venue for the official launch of Ethiopia’s flagship Green Legacy Programme in Addis Ababa.
The project is part of Nigeria’s commitment to regional and continental collaboration on climate action and aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which prioritizes environmental sustainability, food security, and green economic growth.
VP Shettima is in the company of the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed.
The Vice President, who is on an official state visit to Ethiopia, will participate in the launch ceremony of the environmental initiative aimed at combating deforestation and mitigating climate change effects.
The Green Legacy Programme targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period to enhance biodiversity and address environmental challenges across Ethiopia.
This initiative aligns with Nigeria’s existing endeavours in afforestation and reforestation, such as the Great Green Wall project, which focuses on restoring damaged environments, combating desertification, and fostering climate resilience throughout the Sahel region.
VP Shettima Arrives For Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme Launch
VP Shettima Arrives In Ethiopia For Official State Visit
By: Our Reporter
The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, His Excellency, Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali.
He was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
VP Shettima Arrives In Ethiopia For Official State Visit
At Launch Of Ethiopia’s GLI, VP Shettima Urges Practical Action Against Climate Change
Tinubu Commissions Locally Made Electric Vehicles in Nasarawa
Sen Kaka Shehu Lawan Mourn Ex Lawmaker Babagana Tijjani Banki
Roger Federer’s Shock as DNA Results Reveal Myla and Charlene Are Not His Biological Children
THE PLIGHT OF FARIDA
POLICE CHARGE ROOMS, A MINTING PRESS
-
News1 year agoRoger Federer’s Shock as DNA Results Reveal Myla and Charlene Are Not His Biological Children
-
Opinions3 years ago
THE PLIGHT OF FARIDA
-
Opinions4 years ago
POLICE CHARGE ROOMS, A MINTING PRESS
-
News1 year agoEYN: Rev. Billi, Distortion of History, and The Living Tamarind Tree
-
Columns1 year agoArmy University Biu: There is certain interest, but certainly not from Borno.
-
ACADEMICS1 year agoA History of Biu” (2015) and The Lingering Bura-Pabir Question (1)
-
Opinions1 year agoTinubu,Shettima: The epidemic of economic, insecurity in Nigeria
-
Politics2 weeks ago2027: Why Hon. Midala Balami Must Go, as Youths in Hawul and Asikira/Uba Federal Constituency Reject ₦500,000 as Sallah Gift
