Addressing the extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit, convened to address the current situation in the Middle East, President Tinubu expressed deep concern on the humanitarian conditions in Gaza.

The one-day summit was a follow-up to the Riyadh summit last year, and was attended by Heads of State and Government of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, OIC, and the League of Arab States.

Reiterating Nigeria’s call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, President Tinubu affirmed the country’s support for a two-state solution, where both Israeli and Palestinians can co-exist in security and dignity.

He noted that the solution remained a viable part to lasting peace in the region.

”The conflict in Palestine has persisted for far too long, inflicting immeasurable suffering on countless lives.

”As representatives of nations that value justice, dignity, and the sanctity of human life, we have a moral obligation to collectively bring about an immediate end to this conflict.

“It is not enough to issue empty condemnations. The world must work towards an end to Israeli aggression in Gaza, which has persisted for far too long.

“No political aim, no military strategy, and no security concern should come at the expense of so many innocent lives,” he said.

The Nigerian leader called on parties in the conflict in the Middle East to respect the principles of proportionality and the basic rights of civilians, consistent with global legal and diplomatic frameworks.

”In a rules-based international order, States have the right of self-defence. But self defence must take proportionality into account, in line with global legal, diplomatic – and moral – frameworks.

”An entire civilian population, their dreams and futures, cannot be dismissed as collateral,” he said.

Explaining Nigeria’s principled and consistent stance on the two-state solution, President Tinubu noted that it stood as a beacon of hope, representing the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians to self-determination and peace.

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”It is not just a diplomatic article of faith; it is a vision grounded in the principles of equality and mutual recognition.

”Achieving this vision requires a commitment to dialogue and respect for history. We all know this conflict did not begin on October 7 in 2023. It can only be resolved through principled compromise, based on appreciation of the proper context.

”This conflict, in the cradle of history, is so visceral that the ripples of division spread far and quickly. The corrosive impact of the images of endless violence, repeated on a billion smart phones around the world is huge. We need to find new pathways to peace, without delay,” he said.

The Nigerian leader commended King Salman of Saudi Arabia and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for convening the summit, describing it as a vital opportunity to renew diplomatic efforts and work toward a sustainable peace.

He assured that Nigeria given its own experiences would continue to support international efforts that advance peace and stability in the Middle East.

”Our own experiences, domestically and regionally, have taught us that identity politics are no substitute for respecting the nuances of diversity,” he said.

According to President Tinubu, ”The path to reconciliation may be fraught with challenges, but it is through honest conversation that we can foster understanding.

”The international community has the opportunity to bring to bear new thinking on this most relentless challenge.

”It is our duty to engage in this dialogue with sincerity and resolve, recognising the complexities that each side faces.”

President Tinubu called for the establishment of a secretariat to implement the resolutions of the Summit.

He urged the leaders to mandate a select Heads of Government to canvass support globally and oversee the implementation of the Summit resolutions, providing regular reports to a joint OIC and Arab League leadership until permanent peace is achieved in the Middle East.

In his opening remarks, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman condemned Israeli actions in Gaza and Lebanon, including the targeting of civilians and the continued violation of the Al-Aqsa mosque.

He also condemned Israeli ban on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, UNRWA, from delivering relief aid to Palestinians and the displacement of Lebanese people.

He emphasized the importance of preserving Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Crown Prince highlighted Saudi Arabia’s role in promoting Palestinian statehood based on the 1967 borders, mentioning international recognition and the establishment of a Global Coalition with the  European Union and Norway.

He urged more states to join the global coalition.

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The president, according to his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, would be joined at the 5th edition of the flagship investment event by business executives from Nigeria, bankers, captains of industry and energy experts to discuss issues on the future of investments across the globe.

The three-day investment summit, with the theme, Investment in Humanity, which will host global executives and asset managers, will deliberate on progress and prosperity with energy; true final frontiers in investments; science in action; and impact of climate change on communities among others.

Buhari will perform the lesser hajj in Madina and Makka before returning to the country on Friday.

The president will be accompanied on the trip by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ibrahim Pantami, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb Zubairu Dada, Minister of State for  Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen Babagana Monguno, Director General of National  Intelligence Agency, Amb. Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, Managing Director of Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, Uche Orji and Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

Some participants from the private sector include Alhaji Mohammed Indimi, Alhaji Aliko Dangote,  Tope Shonubi , Wale Tinubu, Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu, Hassan Usman, Omoboyode Olusanya, Abubakar Suleiman, Herbert Wigwe and Leo Stan Ekeh.

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The president met with U.S Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin, in Riyadh on Wednesday and they had positive discussions on investments in Nigeria under the new United States International Development Finance Corporation (USIDFC), which provides $60 billion for investments in developing nations.

Speaking at the meeting held on the margins of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) forum, President Buhari said Nigeria would leverage on the U.S facility to address current challenges confronting her power sector as well as general upgrade of infrastructure.

The president thanked the U.S government for supporting Nigeria’s anti-terrorism efforts.

The President and Mnuchin also discussed areas of strengthening Nigeria’s ongoing collaboration with the United States on stopping terrorist financing.

Mnuchin was accompanied by Brent Macintosh, Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs and Marshall Billingslea, Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing in the United States Treasury Department.

The Treasury Secretary used the occasion to introduce Macintosh who was recently promoted Under Secretary for International Affairs by President Trump after the previous Under Secretary, David Malpass, was elected president of the World Bank.

The Nigerian leader congratulated Macintosh on his elevation and requested for his continued support to Nigeria especially in accessing the $60 billion infrastructure fund under the USIDFC.

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President Muhammadu Buhari made this declaration on Wednesday when he spoke at a panel discussion on the second day of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference in Riyadh.

The president underlined his government’s resolve to actualise his promise to reduce poverty in Nigeria.

The President joined President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger and President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya in a plenary session to discuss ‘‘What’s next for Africa? How will investment and trade transform the continent into the next great economic success story?’’

On poverty reduction in Nigeria, President Buhari pointed to the vigorous implementation of key reforms of his administration in the farming and  agricultural sector including soft loans to farmers, availability and affordability of farming inputs and restrictions on food imports grown locally, as some measures that have encouraged agriculture revolution in Nigeria.

‘‘We have vast arable land in Nigeria. We have encouraged, the young men and able-bodied persons, especially the uneducated ones to go back to the land.

‘‘We have encouraged them by giving soft loans to farmers through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and by making fertilizer available and selling at half the price that it used to be.

‘‘We have also ensured a stop on the importation of food because we are capable of achieving food security ourselves,’’ he said.

Responding to a question posed to the discussants if  Russia is now the new best friend of Africa, President Buhari said Russia is ‘‘visibly helping’’ Nigeria in all the priority areas of his government – security, economy and the fight against corruption-, for which he is grateful.

The president added that Russia had remained a committed development partner to Nigeria, recounting its support during the country’s civil war.

‘‘Those who focus on the progress of developing countries would see what Russia right from its days as the Soviet Union had done for us. We will never forget that we went over our civil war with the help of Russia and since then politically and economically, the Russians are helping Nigeria in so many ways,’’ he said.

On anti-corruption, the Nigerian leader described   corruption as an ‘‘embarrassing topic’’ for developing countries, highlighting measures by the Nigerian government to eliminate corruption through lawful enforcement and preventive measures.

‘‘Those who are following our administration’s efforts on accountability at all levels will notice that we have made some progress.

‘‘We have recovered hundred millions of dollars from people who took them out of the country and the economy.

‘‘We have recovered assets and given directive that they should be sold and the money returned to government coffers.

‘‘We have also created a Treasury Single Account (TSA) where all government monies and revenues go into a single account so that we can trace how they go out,’’ he said.

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The president is scheduled to participate in a plenary session on Wednesday in which President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger, President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya and President Denis Sassou-Nguesso of Congo-Brazzaville will discuss ‘‘What’s next for Africa? How will investment and trade transform the continent into the next great economic success story?’’

The session, at the annual investment forum to discuss trends in the world economy and investment environment will provide an opportunity for the Nigerian leader to highlight the importance of public and private organisations to work together to grow economies that create a prosperous society for all.

He will also discuss at the FII what his government is doing to ensure that majority of Nigerian citizens have an acceptable standard of living.

Ahead of the interactive session with African leaders, President Buhari Tuesday attended a session in which His Majesty, King Abdullah II of Jordan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India delivered a special address.

The third annual conference is being attended by world leaders, as well as business leaders, innovators and policymakers from the Americas, Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

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