President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy, Mr. Dele Alake, on Saturday in Lagos, said President Bola Tinubu is ready to provide leadership on the local and foreign scenes.
Alake said the rest of Africa looks up to Nigeria for leadership.
“Everybody is looking up to Nigeria, especially in Africa and the ECOWAS region and President Tinubu is ready to take up the gauntlet”, Alake told State House correspondents when President Umaro Embaló of Guinea Bissau visited President Tinubu at his Ikoyi residence in Lagos.
According to a statement on Saturday by the Director of Information in the State House, Mr. Abiodun Oladunjoye, Alake said that President Tinubu recognises that other African nations are taking cues from Nigeria in terms of leadership. Therefore, he is prepared to step up to the challenge of providing a befitting example.
He noted that although both men met privately, President Embaló used the opportunity to express his solidarity and willingness to cooperate with Nigeria under the leadership of Tinubu.
Saturday’s visit also allowed Embaló, who is currently the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, to reinforce the fraternal relations between the two countries, Alake said.
“President Embalo commended the laudable policy initiatives of President Tinubu in the last one month and added that everyone in the international community has been commending the giant strides of the Nigerian leader.
“He came to pay his solidarity and bond with a brother African head of State, in the first instance, and in particular as a brother Head of State in West Africa”, said the Presidential spokesman.
Alake described the engagement as a “commendable sign of things to come in the entire West African region”.
He said the show of support stems from President Tinubu’s “giant steps in the last one month” which, he said, has created a suitable atmosphere and need for Nigeria to take its rightful place in African affairs.
“Everybody is looking up to Nigeria, especially in Africa and the ECOWAS region and President Tinubu is ready to take up the gauntlet”, Alake added.
On the entourage of the visiting Bissau Guinean leader were his Special Adviser Caramo Camara; Chief of Staff, Califa Soares; Diplomatic Advisor, Alfredo Cabral and Image Operator, Bonifacio Correia.
Those who joined President Tinubu to receive the Guinea-Bissau President included Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Chief of Staff, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; and Alake.
President Embaló was earlier received at the presidential wing of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Sanwo-Olu.
The visit is part of President Tinubu’s engagements since arriving in Nigeria from his one-week trips to Paris and London last Tuesday.
