Minister Jamila Bio Joins President Tinubu on Successful Official Visit to Equatorial Guinea
NEWS DIGEST – President Bola Tinubu has returned from a successful three-day official visit to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, where he engaged in high-level discussions with President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. The visit, which began on Wednesday, August 14, focused on strengthening bilateral relations, particularly in the areas of oil and gas cooperation and enhancing security ties between the two nations.
Key members of President Tinubu’s cabinet accompanied him on this significant trip, including the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, and the Minister of Youth Development, Jamila Bio Ibrahim. Minister Jamila Bio’s participation was particularly noteworthy as she engaged with her Equatorial Guinean counterparts in discussions centered around youth development initiatives. These discussions focused on creating new opportunities for the youth of both nations, with an emphasis on education, entrepreneurship, and employment.
Reflecting on the outcomes of the visit, Minister Jamila Bio Ibrahim highlighted the importance of these youth-focused initiatives, stating, “This visit presented a unique opportunity for us to build bridges of cooperation that will empower the youth of Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea. By working together, we can create sustainable frameworks that will address the challenges our young people face, from education to entrepreneurship, ensuring they have the tools they need to succeed.”
During the visit, President Tinubu also addressed the broader challenges facing the African continent, particularly the exodus of skills and talent. Speaking at a dinner held in his honor at the People’s Palace in Malabo, President Tinubu emphasized the need for African leaders to take more strategic and deliberate actions to address this issue. He noted that research and development must be encouraged through appropriate rewards to keep skilled professionals within the continent.
“Why are we complaining about healthcare problems if our doctors cannot have a home in our continent? If our nurses are faced with destitution, and if our judicial system is archaic?”* President Tinubu asked, urging African nations to look inward for solutions and to focus on cultivating peace, stability, and development.
The President also expressed his commitment to promoting peace and stability across the continent, stating, “Without peace, we cannot have development. Our problem is not that we do not understand what to do. We identify them, and we understand what to do. Our problem is how and when we should do them. I say the time is now. We had better roll up our sleeves, put on our knickers, and move strongly for the peace and stability of our continent.”
In his remarks, President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo thanked President Tinubu for honoring his invitation and emphasized the importance of further strengthening the historical relationship between Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea. Both leaders underscored the need for deeper collaboration in areas such as education, mining, defense, security, and agriculture, as well as tackling regional challenges like piracy, insecurity, climate change, and terrorism.
The visit also saw the signing of an agreement on the Gulf of Guinea Gas Pipeline Project, further solidifying the partnership between the two nations.
Addressing State House correspondents after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s engagements in Malabo, Minister Jamila Bio Ibrahim revealed that both countries are poised to sign a treaty aimed at enhancing youth development and collaboration. This agreement will focus on peer learning, skills development, and technology transfer, with potential plans for Equatorial Guinea to adopt Nigeria’s National Youth Service (NYSC) initiative.
The treaty will explore opportunities for Nigerian youth to produce commodities for Equatorial Guinea, leveraging Nigeria’s larger population, and support collaboration in sectors such as furniture production, agro-forestry, fashion, garment, and cash crops. Minister Ibrahim emphasized the visit’s objective to explore these areas of collaboration and confirmed that the treaty will be finalized by the Joint Commission later this year.
“Well, the purpose of this trip was to explore areas of youth development with our Equatorial Guinean counterparts and we’re in the process of arriving at an agreement on youth development with my counterpart, which we will be finalizing by the Joint Commission, which comes up later this year,” she said.
