President Muhammadu Buhari has positioned Nigeria as a bastion of democracy in the last seven years, says Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama.

“We have been able to gain respect for Nigeria and secure Nigeria’s place as an important partner and player at the multilateral level,” Mr Onyeama claimed on Sunday in New York, following the conclusion of the high-level segment of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

The minister said Mr Buhari had, within the period, showcased Nigeria as a champion of good governance and an important partner in the sub-region and beyond.

He said Nigeria’s participation in the assembly within the period afforded it the opportunity to present a positive image of the country.

“Within that period of time, we have been praised for the role we played in ensuring that democracy survived in The Gambia as well as in pushing for peace in the West African sub-region,” the foreign affairs minister pointed out. “We have been successful in areas such as getting through resolutions of the UN on the illicit financial flows, which we could not achieve for many years.”

According to the minister, compared to the situation in the past, Nigeria has become more proactive regarding its foreign policy engagements.

Mr Onyeama added that Nigeria played important roles in big UN processes such as immigration and emigration.

“We have been seen as a champion for nuclear disarmament and a nuclear-free world because we were very active in those areas. During this period, we have been at the forefront of actions to push for global justice and peace, advocating justice for the oppressed in the world,” the foreign affairs minister further explained.

Mr Onyeama described the high-level segment of the 77th UNGA as successful from Nigeria’s perspective.

“The centrepiece of the event for us was the national statement by the president, which was very well received,” he stressed. “He touched on sensitive national, regional and global issues. We had a good mix of bilateral meetings with other countries as well as engagements with the private sector.”

(NAN)