Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
Nigeria’s Ambassador-Designate to Germany, Ita Enang, has urged fellow ambassadors-designate to engage with the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning before assuming their diplomatic postings to gain a deeper understanding of the country’s economic and development priorities.
Enang made the call during a courtesy visit to the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, and the Minister of State for Budget and Economic Planning, Doris Uzoka-Anite, in Abuja.
According to him, in a statement on Sunday, such engagements would equip Nigerian diplomats with valuable insights into the nation’s development needs and enable them to attract meaningful partnerships and collaborations from their host countries.
He noted that similar consultations by ambassadors-designate and diplomatic representatives prior to deployment would strengthen their understanding of Nigeria’s policy priorities and development aspirations.
Enang expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing him as Nigeria’s Ambassador-Designate to Germany. He explained that the engagement was in line with a presidential directive requiring ambassadors-designate to consult relevant government institutions to acquire the knowledge necessary for effective representation of Nigeria’s interests abroad.
Describing the briefing as highly informative, Enang commended the ministry’s leadership for providing a comprehensive overview of Nigeria’s economic planning framework, development priorities, and agenda for international cooperation.
The former senator also highlighted the growing economic relationship between Nigeria and Germany, recalling his participation in a recent Nigeria-Germany Economic Cooperation engagement. He noted that Germany remains a key development and economic partner, particularly in the areas of energy, infrastructure, technical cooperation, and sustainable development.
He stated that a major component of his diplomatic mission would be strengthening bilateral cooperation between both countries, including collaboration on the Presidential Power Initiative and partnerships with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and other institutions supporting Nigeria’s development agenda.
Speaking during the meeting, Bagudu commended Enang for seeking a better understanding of the ministry’s mandate and its role in advancing Nigeria’s development objectives.
The minister described the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning as the government’s strategic planning institution, responsible for coordinating national development priorities, ensuring policy coherence across ministries, and aligning government programmes and investments with national goals.
He stressed the importance of aligning international partnerships, investment flows, migration policies, and bilateral cooperation initiatives with Nigeria’s long-term development frameworks, including the Nigeria Agenda 2050 and the National Development Plan.
Bagudu further emphasized that sustained engagement with strategic partners such as Germany is crucial to Nigeria’s ambition of building a one-trillion-dollar economy through increased investment, technology transfer, industrial cooperation, and development partnerships.
He also acknowledged the longstanding relationship between Nigeria and Germany, describing it as a valuable partnership that has contributed significantly to Nigeria’s development through initiatives supported by German institutions, the European Union, and multilateral development partners.
The meeting reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening international partnerships, advancing economic diplomacy, and ensuring that Nigeria’s diplomatic representatives abroad remain aligned with the country’s development agenda as it pursues sustainable economic growth and national transformation.
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