9th April, 2018
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari has departed Abuja, Nigeria for the United Kingdom on official visit and to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government’s meeting.
Bashir Ahmad, Personal Assistant to the President on New Media | Engagement, disclosed this in a tweet on Monday.
The president’s departure for UK was after he had earlier in the day declared his intention to contest the 2019 presidential election.
Buhari is expected to discussions on Nigeria-British relations with Prime Minister Theresa May, ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings (CHOGM), from 18th to 20th April, 2018.
A statement issued by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, had on Sunday said the President would also meet the Chief Executive Officer of Royal Dutch Plc, Mr. Ben van Beurden in connection with Shell and other partners’ plan to invest $15b in Nigeria’s oil industry.
It said these investment ventures would lay the foundation for the next 20 years production and domestic gas supply, bringing with it all the attendant benefits both to the economy and the wider society.
The statement added that Buhari is due to renew discussions with the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Rev. and Rt. Hon. Justin Welby, a good friend of the President on inter-religious harmony in Nigeria and World-wide.
Further meetings have also been scheduled for the President to see some prominent British and Nigerians residing in Britain, the statement said.