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November 2017

PROTOCOL. Your Eminence, Royal Majesties and Royal Highnesses, it is an honour to be with you today at the annual General Assembly of the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council (NTRC) on the theme, ‘Harnessing Peace, Security and Development of the Post-Insurgency in the North’. I thank you for the invitation to this venerated platform here in Kaduna, a gateway to the North and one of the most historically important cities in our country, Nigeria. This General Assembly is coming not a moment too soon. In fact, if

PROTOCOLS Education is a fundamental human right and its importance cannot be overemphasised. This is buttressed by several International Human Rights instruments that provide for education as a fundamental human right. These include: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948); the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966); and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (1981). The relationship between education and development is well established, such that education is a key index of development. The importance and linkage of education to

PROTOCOL. 1.My Distinguished Colleagues, it is my pleasure to be here today in the charming vista of the city of Calabar. Let me express my appreciation to the Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma, Chairman of the Southern Senators Forum, for the invitation extended to me to join you at this retreat, which is on the theme: ‘National Unity and Reconstructuring’. 2.I congratulate the Chairman, the Executive and entire members of the Forum for the vision, commitment and dogged determination that made possible this retreat. I have no

Distinguished Colleagues, As you are aware, we postponed the debate on the 2018 Budget estimates so as to focus on approving the 2018-2020 MTEF and FSP submitted last month by His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, for our consideration and approval. Notwithstanding the delay in the submission of the 2018-2020 MTEF & FSP beyond the time indicated in the Fiscal Responsibility Act and the revision of the 2018 Fiscal Framework, we have chosen to work objectively and more collaboratively with the Executive to ensure that we

PROTOCOL. 1.It is my pleasure to be at The WAFGAS Conference and Exhibition 2017, organised by the Senate Committee on Gas in collaboration with WAFGAS Conferences Limited. The theme of this 3-Day conference, which is, ‘Portfolio Optimization of Domestic Gas Usage in West Africa’ is one that is long overdue. It also serves to focus our attention on critical areas of attention, if indeed we are serious when we talk about diversifying revenue sources, in the quest to move our economy away from oil. There

PROTOCOL. 1.It is my pleasure to be here today at this Opening Ceremony of the 35th Annual International Conference and Exhibition of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE). The theme of the conference, ‘A Roadmap for Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Industry in a Diversifying Economy’ is very timely, particularly at this period of gradual economic recovery from recession. One of the great lessons of the recession, and one which we must not lose sight of at this time of renewed optimism, is that we

PROTOCOL. 1.It is my pleasure to be here today at this Opening Ceremony of the 35th Annual International Conference and Exhibition of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE). The theme of the conference, ‘A Roadmap for Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Industry in a Diversifying Economy’ is very timely, particularly at this period of gradual economic recovery from recession. One of the great lessons of the recession, and one which we must not lose sight of at this time of renewed optimism, is that we

PROTOCOL. 1.On behalf of the entire members of the Nigerian National Assembly and the Nigerian Community Delegation, I bid you all welcome to the Second Ordinary Session of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, holding here in our serene capital city of Abuja. It is a special pleasure to be here today with great parliamentarians from across the West African sub-region, as we gather to chart a new course for the greater development and prosperity of our Community. I greet you all. 2.Your

PROTOCOL. 1.I am especially pleased to be here with you today for The Nigerian Sports Summit 2017 on the theme, ‘Nigerian Sports And Its Economic Diversification Into Entrepreneurial Investment To Enhance Talents, Empowerment and Employment, Security Tool To Make Sport More Productive’. I thank the Honourable Minister for inviting me. 2.Ladies and gentlemen, the development of the nation’s youth is very dear to my heart, as I am sure it is to all of you. Sport, as we all know, is one of the most effective

PROTOCOL. 1.It is a pleasure to be at this Opening Ceremony of the 2017 Chief Executive Officers’ Forum of the Association of African Development Finance Institutions (AADFI). I thank the Honourable Minister and the Managing Director of the Bank of Industry for my invitation. 2.This Forum is coming at crucial time for economies on the continent. GDP growth in sub-Saharan Africa over the last one year has been the weakest in nearly a decade. The recessive Nigerian economy has, in some way, been responsible for the