General News
NIGERIA AND CUBA EXPLORE DEEPER PARLIAMENTARY TIES FOR MUTUAL BENEFIT
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, has called for strengthened parliamentary diplomacy between Nigeria and Cuba to foster medical exchanges, academic collaboration, joint research and targeted investments. Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Speaker, Levinus Nwabughiogu, in a statement, said Speaker Tajudeen emphasized tangible outcomes from the partnership, including Memoranda of Understanding, ratified agreements and funded programs.
Levinus Nwabughiogu highlighted the Speaker’s remarks during a courtesy visit by a Cuban delegation led by Hon. Fernando González Llort, a Cuban hero and President of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples. Levinus Nwabughiogu noted the Speaker, represented by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, stressed Nigeria’s foreign policy prioritizes partnerships promoting peace, development and shared prosperity.
“Nigeria’s foreign policy, guided by African solidarity and cooperation across the Global South, continues to prioritise partnerships that promote peace, development, and shared prosperity,” Speaker Tajudeen said. He recognized Cuba’s parliamentary solidarity legacy and proposed strategic areas for collaboration including health diplomacy, trade, culture, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.
Speaker Tajudeen highlighted minimal bilateral trade, citing US$2,380 Nigerian imports from Cuba in 2024, but stressed deep cultural ties in music, sports and literature could boost opportunities. “Parliamentary diplomacy must yield real outputs: MOUs, ratified agreements, and funded programmes,” he stated.
Cuba’s achievements in health, like the Abdala COVID-19 vaccine with 92% efficacy against severe disease, and over 1,200 doctors deployed globally, present collaboration potential. “Nigeria sees this relationship as a balanced exchange,” Tajudeen noted, valuing Cuba’s expertise while Cuba benefits from Nigeria’s market and resources.
Cuban Ambassador Miriam Morales Palmer and Hon. Fernando González Llort lauded Nigeria-Cuba ties, working on mutual interests. Llort invited Deputy Speaker Kalu to Cuba for further parliamentary diplomacy discussions.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has introduced an urgent, coordinated strategy to safeguard food security across West Africa and the Sahel, as global economic disruptions and rising oil prices continue to threaten agricultural production.
The decision followed an extraordinary virtual meeting of ECOWAS Ministers of Agriculture held on March 23, 2026, where regional leaders assessed the growing risks to food systems.
The high-level meeting, convened by the ECOWAS Commission through its Department of Economic Affairs and Agriculture under Commissioner Kalilou Sylla, brought together key regional institutions, development partners, and financial stakeholders.
Participants—including representatives from the West African Economic and Monetary Union and the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel—reviewed the impact of rising fertiliser costs, driven by global market volatility and increasing energy prices, on agricultural productivity across the region.
Deliberations resulted in the adoption of a medium- to long-term operational framework aimed at strengthening food sovereignty and building resilience within regional food systems.
Key measures outlined in the plan include the immediate establishment of regional agreements to secure strategic fertiliser supplies, as well as the creation of emergency reserves to cushion the effects of future price shocks.
The ministers also approved the introduction of liquidity swap mechanisms through central banks to address foreign exchange constraints faced by importers—an intervention expected to improve access to critical agricultural inputs.
“Our collective response underscores the urgency of safeguarding food security in the face of external shocks,” Sylla said, noting that enhanced regional coordination and targeted interventions would help sustain agricultural production and protect vulnerable populations.
The initiative highlights ECOWAS’ commitment to deepening regional cooperation and implementing sustainable solutions to emerging threats to food security across West Africa and the Sahel.
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, on Monday paid a Sallah homage to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Lagos.
The visit formed part of activities marking the Sallah celebrations, as top government officials and political leaders paid courtesy calls to the President.
During the meeting, President Tinubu also received members of the Lagos State Governor’s Advisory Council, a key political body in Lagos State.
Lagos State Governor’s Advisory Council
The engagements provided an opportunity for discussions on national issues and strengthened ties between the executive and legislative arms of government.
The Sallah homage is a long-standing tradition in Nigeria, where political leaders and stakeholders visit the President and other top officials during major Islamic festivities.
Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has expressed concern over the reported arrest of a Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Tijjani Umar, describing the development as a threat to Nigeria’s democratic principles.
In a statement issued on Monday, Obi said he was informed that the cleric was arrested by authorities shortly after hosting him in Kaduna on Sunday. He described the situation as “deeply troubling,” warning that it reflects a growing pattern of intimidation and suppression of dissenting voices in the country.
Obi noted that such actions, if confirmed, undermine fundamental rights, including freedom of speech and movement, which he said are essential pillars of any democratic society.
He further stressed that harassment or persecution of citizens based on perceived political affiliations must not be tolerated, urging the government to uphold the rule of law in its dealings with Nigerians.
“This country must defend freedom and free speech, which are the hallmarks of every democratic society,” Obi stated, adding that suppression and intimidation of dissent have no place in a functioning democracy.
The former Anambra State governor called on authorities and all relevant actors to refrain from actions capable of weakening the nation’s already fragile democratic system.
As of the time of filing this report, there has been no official confirmation from security agencies regarding the alleged arrest.