AMID mounting concerns over his ‘extended’ absence from the country, President Bola Tinubu is scheduled to return to Abuja on Sunday, September 15, after his official visit to China.
Following his time in China, Tinubu travelled to London, where he met with King Charles III to reportedly discuss climate change and other issues.
Tinubu’s special aBilldviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, revealed this in a statement he signed Saturday night, September 14.
The President, who departed Abuja for Beijing on August 29, 2024, began his official visit on September 2 with a meeting with President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People.
According to a departure statement released by his former aide, Ajuri Ngelale, the President’s destination was China, with a brief layover in the United Arab Emirates.
The ICIR reports that the extended duration of his trip sparked concerns about his absence during the Borno flooding crisis.
This has been met with frustration and concern from various Nigerians, with critics arguing that his ‘unknown’ whereabouts have left a leadership vacuum in addressing the disaster.
Meanwhile, Onanuga noted that during a bilateral meeting with President Jinping in China, five Memoranda of Understanding were signed between Nigeria and China.
He added that Tinubu also held another round of bilateral talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
“Among the MOUs signed were the Cooperation Plan between Nigeria and China, which was to jointly promote the Belt and Road Initiative, cooperation in the peaceful application of nuclear energy, and strengthening cooperation on human resource development under the Global Development Initiative.
“Others were the Memorandum of Understanding on Media Exchange and Cooperation and the Memorandum of Understanding between China Media Group and the Nigerian Television Authority,” the statement added.
He further stressed that Nigeria also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) to build the 68 km Lagos Green rail line.
According to him, the rail line is designed to run from the Lekki Free Zone to the Marina and connect with the Blue Line.
The president’s aide also mentioned that a memorandum of understanding for the $1 billion iron ore-to-steel project in Kogi State was signed between Chart and Capstone Integrated Limited of Nigeria and Sinomach-He of China.
Onanuga noted that the President capped his visit to China with a meeting with Nigerians in the Diaspora Organisation, China chapter, where he was said to have emphasised the importance of his government’s reforms in Nigeria.
“President Tinubu left Beijing for London, where he spent some days. On Thursday, he met with King Charles III, where he discussed issues related to climate change and action,” the statement added.
With this visit, Tinubu has visited 24 foreign destinations since he assumed office about 16 months ago, according to analysis done by Punch Newspaper.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: [email protected]. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M