Buhari winding up tenure with foreign trips, seeks award  in Portugal

President Muhammadu Buhari has continued to wind up his tenure which elapses in 2023 with incessant foreign trips and engagement in global conferences. Arriving Nigeria after the CHOGOM submit in Kigali, Rwanda, President Buhari departed Abuja on Tuesday, on a State visit to Portugal where he anticipates to be conferred with the country’s National Honour and decorated with ‘Great Collar of the Order of Prince Henry.’

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in a statement on Tuesday disclosed that President Buhari traveled to Portugal on the invitation of President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. He added that the president will hold official talks with President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, and will thereafter, be conferred with the country’s National Honour and decorated with ‘Great Collar of the Order of Prince Henry.’

“The two Presidents are expected to chair an enlarged bilateral meeting and witness the signing of some agreements bordering on issues of mutual concern.

“President Buhari will also visit the Portuguese Parliament and hold discussions with its president, Dr Augusto Santo Silva, as well as the Prime Minister of Portugal, Antonio Costa.

“In the course of the visit, the President is scheduled to address a Forum of Nigerian and Portuguese businessmen and hold separate meetings with select Portuguese Chief Executive Officers and prospective investors to Nigeria.

“President Buhari will also participate in the United Nations Ocean Conference, which began in Lisbon on Monday, June 27, and runs till July 1.

“The Conference, co-hosted by the Governments of Kenya and Portugal and supported by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), aims to accelerate the adoption of science-based innovative solutions to challenges facing oceans and the global marine ecosystem.

“The Nigerian leader is also expected to engage members of the Nigerian community in Portugal on matters affecting them and developments at home,” Garba Shehu highlighted.

The President was accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Adeniyi Adebayo; Minister of Youth and Sports, Sunday Dare and Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami.

Others include National Security Adviser, Maj-Gen Babagana Monguno (rtd); Director General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Amb. Ahmed Rufa’i Abubakar and Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) Honorable Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

He expected back to Abuja on Saturday.