Mrs. Tinubu: Belarus Ready to Collaborate with Nigeria on Specialists’ Training, Economy
CHIGOZIE AMADI
Wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has secured the commitment of the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko to partner with Nigeria in the area of specialists training and economy.
Lukashenko made the commitment during the visit of the First Lady to his office in Belarus.
According to a release issued on Wednesday evening by Mrs Tinubu’s spokesperson, Bukola Kukoyi, Lukashenko highlighted some of the areas Belarus was looking at for cooperation between the two countries to include Agriculture, Food processing, Industry and Education.
The Belarusian President who spoke through an interpreter pointed out that the Nigerian First Lady’s visit has further strengthened his administrations resolve to enhance bilateral relations with Nigeria noting that one key area they would be hoping to collaborate was on specialists training.
According to him: “We know your needs and we know the possibilities that you have. Let me underline that these possibilities are important and significant for us. We can render significant assistant to you and you can reciprocate for us.
“We are willing to explore deeper collaboration in the area of education with your country.
“Please ask President Bola Tinubu for the visit of our Minister of Foreign Affairs to your country so we can develop these areas of collaboration further”.
Responding, Mrs Tinubu thanked the Belarusian leader especially for providing 20 Nigerian Students full Scholarship through her initiative, Renewed Hope Initiative.
She explained to Lukashenko that the RHI was involved in empowering women especially through the Women in Agriculture programme which was a way to improve on food security and production in Nigeria.
The First Lady assured that Nigeria would also be reaching out further to the Belarus to see how the desired collaboration between the two nations would be pursued.
Earlier, Mrs Tinubu met with the Belarusian Minister of Education Andrey Ivanets who put the Nigerian population of students in that country at 600.
Ivanets said the students studying in various fields were doing very well academically and that his Ministry looked forward to formalizing a bilateral agreement with Nigeria.
He said the Belarusian government hoped to establish Specialists Training Centers in Nigeria.
The First Lady at the meeting pointed out that Work Experience programme of Belarus was very commendable and would be explored by Nigeria.
She also met with the Speaker of Belarus parliament, Ms Natalya Kochanova and members of the Women’s Union of Belarus mad up e of women professionals from all sectors.
