Nigeria
From Jude Owuamanam
Minister of State Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu, assumed office in Abuja on Monday, promising to align with the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s foreign policy goals.
Bianca Ojukwu was received by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar at the Tafawa Balewa House, Abuja.
The minister is one of seven new appointees who were inaugurated on Monday after they were screened and confirmed by the Senate
The former beauty queen and former Nigeria’s ambassador to Spain, said that she’s fully committed to keying into the foreign policy thrust of this government.
She said, “I am delighted for the confidence reposed in me by our dear President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to be part of his new reform agenda.
“In this respect, I am fully committed to keying into the foreign policy thrust of this government. The President has actually made things much easier by building the foreign policy thrust of his administration. The 4Ds comprise of democracy, strengthening democratic institutions all over Africa, principally.
“Development; leveraging on the African Continental Free Trade Area to encourage and harness our economic potentials and of course, looking at the demography, we have a huge youth population Nigeria. 70% of the population is under the age of 43, so that’s a huge demographic.
“We intend in this administration to leverage on the creative potentials, on the skills of the huge capital that these young people have to bring to the country, and of course the Diaspora.
“We have a Diaspora that remits annually, $22 billion, we have a Diaspora that is doing so well all over the world, and if we can partner with them and ensure that we bring them into the administration’s initiatives and use them also to forge strategic partnerships with financial institutions all over the world, that will in no small way enhance the workings on the service delivery for the Foreign Minister.
“And of course, ensuring that consular services abroad are much more effective, and our citizens abroad are much happier with what they are receiving, and get that sense that their government truly cares for their welfare. Thank you very much.”
The new minister is expected to bring to bear her huge experiences in diplomatic circle.
