President Muhammadu Buhari will on Sunday embark on a three-day official visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to participate in this year’s edition of the World Future Energy Summit.
This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Saturday by the president’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu.
The statement said President Buhari, who would serve as a special guest of honour at the Summit, would also lead a team of his ministers to bilateral talks with the government of the UAE.
It stated that the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr Ban Ki Moon and the Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan of Abu Dhabi were among other participants at the summit.
According to the statement, the Summit which is now in its ninth year of existence has developed into one of the world’s most influential events dedicated to advancing future energy, energy efficiency and clean technologies.
“In a move signalling Nigeria’s re-engagement with the Middle-East region, President Buhari will also lead a team of his ministers to bilateral talks with the government of the UAE,’’ the statement said.
“After the talks, a number of agreements between both countries on economic, trade and bilateral relations are expected to be signed.
“From the visit, Nigeria also expects to get more support from the UAE for its war against terrorism and the recovery of Nigeria’s stolen funds.
It said that the President would also meet with leading UAE businessmen and Nigerian professionals in the country with a view to encouraging greater investment inflows to critical sectors such as power supply, oil, gas and agriculture.
The statement said the President, who will be accompanied by the ministers of Power, Works and Housing, Petroleum, Environment, Justice, Trade and Investment, Finance and Foreign Affairs, as well as the National Security Adviser, would return to Abuja on Tuesday.