If the world powers can help Nigeria plug all the loopholes that had been used by government officials to steal assets, the country will not be needing foreign aid. This is President Muhammadu Buhari’s position, according to a Presidency official on Buhari’s four-day visit to the United States (US).
The President met with US President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, among many other top functionaries, during the visit.
“Buhari did not go to the US with a begging bowl. We don’t need foreign aid, he told everyone, so long as the world powers can help us plug all the loopholes that had been used to steal our assets,” Mallam Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on Publicity told Vanguard.
During the visit, Buhari said that about $150 billion is stolen annually from Nigeria and many other African countries. “Americans hold the view that between $10 billion and $20 billion dollars is lost annually through the crude oil sector alone.”
“There is no organisation or government (across the world) that can give us (Nigeria) $5 billion. If we plug our loopholes and recover stolen money stashed abroad, Nigeria will do well by herself,” Shehu quoted Buhari to have said.
A breakdown of investments and cash worth $13.6 billion earmarked for Nigeria, courtesy of the Buhari US visit, shows that $5 billion is coming for investments in the power sector, another $5 billion is to fund investments in the agricultural sector, $1.5 billion is from the Bill Gates Foundation while $2.1 billion is being provided by the World Bank.
Similarly, in its efforts to assist Nigeria eradicate polio, the Bill Gates Foundation, which is revving its support with additional $1.2 billion, is extending its areas of coverage to four more states – Kaduna, Sokoto, Borno and Yobe.
Mr Shehu described President Buhari’s U.S trip as a monumental success.
“From our point of view, no past President of this country has ever netted these for Nigeria from a single U.S. trip. Overall, it is a resounding success.
“The clamour for President Buhari was astounding. He was gone after by every member of the United States establishment. He met Secretary of State John Kerry, Vice President Joe Biden and the President of the United States, Barack Obama.
“I am not sure there was any past Nigerian President who met as many a number of Secretaries of U.S. Departments as Buhari did and, in all of these meetings, the personal integrity of President Buhari came through,” he said.