Nigeria’s First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu has secured the commitment of the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, to collaborate with Nigeria on national growth and development.
Lukashenko made the commitment when the First Lady visited his office in Balarus.
A statement issued on Wednesday by Mrs Tinubu’s spokesperson, Bukola Kukoyi, said Lukashenko listed areas Belarus was looking for cooperation between the two countries to include Agriculture, Food processing, Industry and Education.
The Belarusian President who spoke through an interpreter pointed out that the Nigerian First Lady’s visit had further strengthened his administration's resolve to enhance bilateral relations with Nigeria, noting that one key area they would be hoping to collaborate was on specialists' training.
According to him, “We know your needs and we know the possibilities that you have. Let me underline that these possibilities are important and significant for us. We can render significant assistant to you and you can reciprocate for us.
“We are willing to explore deeper collaboration in the area of education with your country.
“Please ask President Bola Tinubu for the visit of our Minister of Foreign Affairs to your country so we can develop these areas of collaboration further.”
Reacting, Mrs Tinubu applauded the Belarusian leader, especially for providing 20 Nigerian Students full scholarship through her initiative, Renewed Hope Initiative.
She explained to Lukashenko that the RHI was involved in empowering women especially through the Women in Agriculture Programme which was a way to improve food security and production in Nigeria.
The First Lady assured him that Nigeria would also be reaching out further to Belarus to see how the desired collaboration between the two nations would be pursued.