Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, has praised President Bola Tinubu for steering Nigeria’s diplomatic initiatives aimed at repositioning the country on the global stage.

Speaking to journalists in Yokohama shortly after the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) on Friday, Bagudu described President Tinubu’s leadership at the conference as exemplary.

“The first thing we should appreciate is the tremendous capacity Mr. President is bringing to bear to diplomacy. He came to Japan to participate in TICAD9, and from here he is going to Brazil. That tells Nigerians how much personal effort he’s putting in to lead Nigeria’s diplomacy, to ensure that we get investment and to ensure that Nigeria regains its status in its place of pride in the world. So this is highly commendable,” Bagudu said.

He noted that beyond high-level deliberations, TICAD9 highlighted the growing convergence between Japan and Africa on shared goals of sustainable development and prosperity. “Both sides acknowledged that true development is about humanity working together and sharing prosperity rather than perpetuating dominance,” he added.

Bagudu further linked the diplomatic engagements to President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, emphasising the administration’s commitment to fostering partnerships with nations and institutions that respect Nigeria and share ideals of inclusive growth. “The Renewed Hope Agenda is saying that we want to relate with those who respect us, those with whom we share common conceptions of development, and he’s ready to go the extra mile to ensure that it is a win-win situation,” he said.

The minister reaffirmed Nigeria’s dedication to multilateral cooperation under the United Nations framework, highlighting the need to boost trade, promote inclusive growth, and strengthen collective management of international affairs.

Deji Elumoye

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