The Group of seven industrialized nations has resolved to support the new Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari.
This followed the group’s acknowledgment of the way and manner of his emergence and the tremendous challenges faced by the government he leads, not of his making, especially in its efforts to combat the Boko Haram.
A statement issued by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President said that at the end of the presentation which President Buhari made yesterday, the G7 leaders showed understanding of the massive amount of confidence and expectations behind the government of Buhari.
“They acknowledged him as having emerged from an election adjudged to be the freest in the country’s electoral history, but regretted the severe handicaps his new government has to face from the outset.
“They told President Buhari that they took cognizance of the fact of the several handicaps, including the lack of resources, leaving him with a government over-stretched in capacity, itself riddled with mismanagement. They noted that the country’s army lacked training and equipment with little or no will to engage.
“In recognition of the fact that the security threat of the Boko Haram had gone beyond Nigeria, equally affecting other countries in the region, the G7 conceded that no one country can tackle it alone.
“They expressed warm sentiments towards the Nigerian leader and praised him for reaching out to the country’s neighbours and the group of industrialized nations within a week of his takeover of government.
“In view of the seriousness he has shown in tacking this problem, the group pledged that they would “engage, cooperate and collaborate” with President Buhari’s government in tackling the serious problems that Nigeria faces.
“They left it to President Buhari to come up with the specifics on his requirements, assuring that they would study the requirements either individually or collectively and offer help. They asked to know the nature and the scale of the problems in order to know the nature and the scale of the assistance they will provide. Suffice it to say that they assured President Buhari that ‘Nigeria will find a partner in the G7.'”
President Buhari, who had the privilege of being the first to address the G7 among the invited presidents and prime ministers was warmly received at the summit. He returned to Nigeria in the early hours of today, June 9.
[myad]

President Muhammadu Buhari has described members of the deadly Boko Haram sect as Godless, saying that they neither know God nor believe in Him.
The President who held a meeting with President Francois Hollande of France after his participation in today’s G-7 Outreach Programme in Germany, vowed that his Administration is totally committed to ending the group’s insurgency in the shortest possible time.
A statement by the Senior Special to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu quoted the President as saying that Nigeria will welcome greater support and cooperation from France and other friendly nations for its ongoing efforts to overcome Boko Haram and restore full security and normalcy to areas affected by the group’s atrocities.
He said that his administration is already taking concrete action to build a more efficient and effective coalition of Nigeria and neighbouring countries against Boko Haram.
Nigeria, he said, would appreciate more intelligence on the terrorist group’s links with ISIS, movements, training and sources of its arms and ammunition to facilitate the perfection of fresh tactics and strategies being evolved to overcome terrorism and insurgency in the country and its sub-region.
President Buhari reiterated at the talks with his French counterpart that there was absolutely no link between religion and the atrocities of Boko Haram.
In his remarks at the meeting, President Hollande commended President Buhari’s concerted efforts to galvanize Nigeria’s armed forces, security agencies and neighouring countries for more decisive action to eradicate Boko Haram.
The French leader assured President Buhari that France will give Nigeria and its coalition partners greater support against terrorism and insecurity, including military and intelligence cooperation, to help them overcome the security challenge posed by Boko Haram and its global terrorist allies as quickly as possible.
He also called for greater bilateral cooperation between Nigeria and France in other areas including trade, economic and cultural relations.
Mallam Shehu said President Buhari also received similar pledges of enhanced support from Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada and Chancellor Angela Merkel who he also conferred with before departing from the venue of the G-7 2015 Summit.[myad]