Saraki addresses Russian parliament urging the country to take its ties with Nigeria and Africa seriously

SENATE president Senator Bukola Saraki addressed Russia's parliament today as part of a parliamentary visit during the ongoing World Cup tournament in which he urged the country to take its ties with Nigeria and the African continent seriously.

Yesterday, Senator Saraki arrived in Russia alongside other Nigerian lawmakers, at the invitation of the chairperson of the Russian Federation Council, Valentina Matviyenko and was received by the Nigerian Ambassador to Russia, Professor Steve Ugba. Other senators in the delegation included Senator Godswill Akpabio, Senator Obinna Ogba, Senator Olusola Adeyeye, Senator Duro Faseyi, Senator Ibrahim Danbaba and Senator Monsurat Sunmonu.

Their three-day parliamentary visit to Russia is aimed at deepening legislative best practices and further strengthening the relationship between both countries.  Addressing the Russian Parliament this morning, Senator Saraki talked about the strength and entrepreneurial spirit of Nigeria youth, especially in the areas of sports, arts and entertainment, while beckoning on Russia to invest in Nigeria.

Senator Saraki said: “It is wonderful to be back in your beautiful country, especially during the World Cup and for this, I wish to congratulate the Russian people for the successful hosting of the 2018 World Cup tournament. The burst of colour, spectacle and sportsmanship on display, as well as the smooth running of the event, are a reflection of the level of planning, preparation and capacity on your part as host nation and it is a vibrant symbol of global unity that serves as a most fortuitous backdrop to our visit.”

“My first visit to Russia was in October last year, to attend the International Parliamentary Union general assembly where I met Valentina Matviyenko, the chairperson of the Federation Council. She graciously extended an invitation to me to visit the Russian Parliament, so we are here today in this hallowed chamber as guests of Madam Speaker and this honourable House, in fulfilment of that promise."

He added that the visit should mark the beginning of a new phase of inter-parliamentary cooperation between the two nations, as well as serve as a springboard for renewed vigour in Nigeria-Russia relations in general. According to senator Saraki, Africa is looking to the future and Nigeria is at the forefront of that push.

"Africa is the future as more than half of the countries with the highest annual growth rates are on our continent and this has been the case since the year 2000.  Furthermore, a massive demographic dividend is expected to deliver an unprecedented advantage by 2050, when our continent will account for 40% of the world’s population and one in four persons on earth will be African.”

“We are the youngest continent, with a population of 1.3bn Africans, whose numbers are set to double by 2050 and more than half of whom are young people. The number of African youth expected to reach working age by 2035 will exceed that of the rest of the entire world combined and nowhere is the surging power of Africa’s youth more inescapable than in Nigeria," Senator Saraki added.

In addition, Senator Saraki pointed out that with some 68% of the Nigerian population between 18 and 35, this youth demographic is transforming every sphere of life in the country, especially with regards to entrepreneurship, sports, arts and entertainment. He called on Russia to reckon with Nigeria as the central area of focus in Africa, and take a more serious view of its longstanding ties with the continent.