NAIROBI – Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Kenya, Amb. Akin Oyateru, on Friday described the bilateral relationship between Nigeria and Kenya as “excellent’’.
Oyateru told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Nairobi that all necessary agreement had been signed to move the relationship between both nations from cordial to strategic partnership.
“The bilateral relationship has been improving, it is quite excellent and it is getting better.
“We have laid the structure and foundation now to start moving from cordial towards real strategic partnership.
“We have signed all the framework agreements, the joint cooperation commission agreement; what we are trying to do now is to put content into the framework. [eap_ad_2] “We are putting up the structure for all the agreements we have signed so I will say it is very excellent and it is getting better. ’’
Oyateru said the process of conducting a compressive census for Nigerians living in Kenya was on going saying that no fewer than 2,000 Nigerians were doing business in Kenya.
He said Nigeria’s Nollywood was extremely popular as it was regularly and daily televised on all stations in the country, adding that “Kenyans love it and they watch it’’.
Speaking on insurgency in both countries, the ambassador said attention should be concentrated on the root cause of the insurgency, the form and the mode of operations.
He said in tackling insurgency, Kenya had used both hard and soft methods and that Nigeria could learn from that.
Oyateru noted that there was no quick fix to insurgency, saying that it was a long term fight and strategies must be right in order to succeed.
He said the fight against insurgency was not only for the government but also that of the community, the military and the people.
The ambassador said apart from the military strategy, there was the need to win the hearts and minds against insurgency and providing alternative measures for settling disputes.
He urged Nigerians to welcome Kenyan investors in the country as government was working hard to establish a strategic partnership with Eastern states.
Cue in audio “We are trying to build a bridge between the East and West and lay strong foundation between Kenya and Nigeria.
“We are making gradual progress so they should welcome Kenyans in Nigeria to invest just like they will welcome our own business in Kenya.
“Like the Minister said, Africa is our home, our various nations are just places of residence,” he said. (NAN)[eap_ad_3]
