Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for personally driving Nigeria’s diplomatic engagements to reposition the country in global political economics.

Speaking with journalists in Yokohama after the summit, Bagudu described President Tinubu’s leadership at the just-concluded ninth Tokyo International Conference for African Development (TICAD9) as exemplary.

He said the President’s presence and active participation underscored his commitment to restoring Nigeria’s pride on the global stage.

“The first thing we should appreciate is the tremendous capacity His Excellency, Mr. President, is bringing to bear to diplomacy. He came to Japan to participate in TICAD9, and from here he is going to Brazil.

“That tells Nigerians how much personal effort he’s putting in to lead Nigeria’s diplomacy, to ensure that we get investment and to ensure that Nigeria regains its status in its place of pride in the world. So this is highly commendable,” the minister stated.

Evening Roundup: Stories making waves in The Nation - The Nation0:00 / 0:00

Senator Bagudu noted that beyond the high-level deliberations, the summit showcased the alignment between Japan and Africa on the shared vision of development.

According to him, both sides emphasized that true development is about humanity working together and sharing prosperity rather than perpetuating dominance.

He said this principle mirrors President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which emphasizes forging partnerships with nations and institutions that respect Nigeria and share common ideals of inclusive growth.

“The Renewed Hope Agenda is saying that we want to relate with those who respect us, those with whom we share common conceptions of development, and he’s ready to go the extra mile to ensure that it is a win-win situation,” Bagudu explained.

The Minister added that the conference reinforced Nigeria’s commitment to multilateralism and the founding principles of the United Nations system, highlighting the need to expand trade, share prosperity, and collectively manage the international space.(The Nation)