Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu has promised to advance the country’s foreign policy as she assumed duties after being sworn in by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Abuja.
The Minister promised to leverage the immense potential of Nigerians both within and across the globe.
“In this ministry we would be keying into the four tenets of the foreign policy thrust of the president, being democracies, strengthening democratic institutions, especially around the African continent, development, keying into the African continental free trade area to harness our immense economic potentials, and of course, taking advantage of Nigeria’s demography. As you all know, 70% of our population is under the age of 43. So that’s a huge demographic, and we fully intend to harness the immense potential at their disposal to ensure that our country gets the best of creative talent, of skills, of the vibrant energy of youth, and what they bring to a re-dynamic country”, she pledged
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, also maintained that partnering with the diasporas and their initiatives will enhance the service delivery of the Nigerian government.
“Most importantly, we intend to key into the president’s initiatives regarding the diaspora. We all know how strategic our diaspora population is. I mean, the diaspora remains 22 billion, and you can see what we can achieve if we leverage on their economy and the foreign direct investment that they can help engineer their drive”, Mrs. Ojukwu said.
She also highlighted the importance of reinforcing Nigeria’s diplomatic ties globally and gave the assurance that her tenure would prioritize fostering sustainable international relationships and addressing issues pertinent to Nigeria’s global interests.
“This Ministry has a crop of some of the most dedicated officers. I have worked with many of them, and they are dedicated to the advancement of the foreign interests of this country. And they are also dedicated, and I saw it during my tenure as ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain, really what they were able to bring to bear with very limited funding, and how they were able to intervene for the benefit of our citizens abroad”.
“That’s a very important aspect for us to ensure that our Embassies, our missions abroad, are run more efficiently, to ensure that they’re able to provide greater services, seamless services to our citizens, and also to ensure that we’re able to come to the aid of our citizens abroad in distress, wherever they may be. So I think, essentially, this keys into and aligns with the President’s foreign policy objectives. As the President made it clear today, that we’re facing challenging times, but if we all join hands, commit ourselves to ensuring that we lift this country from the situation in which we find ourselves, then the sky is the limit for what we’re going to be able to do, especially in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs”, she said.
The newly sworn Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, is a Nigerian politician, diplomat and a lawyer, who hails from Anambra State.
She once served Nigeria in the capacity of the Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora Affairs, in 2012, she became Nigeria’s Ambassador to Ghana and later Ambassador to the Kingdom Of Spain.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, was warmly received at the Ministry, by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, alongside the Permanent Secretary Of the Ministry, top management and senior staff of the Ministry.
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