The President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa will, this week, decorate his Nigerian counterpart, President Muhammadu Buhari with that country’s national honour of ‘Great Collar of the Order of Prince Henry.’
The honour is part of the activities lined up by the Portuguese President, who personally invited Buhari to his country.
The Nigerian President, who leaves the shores of Nigeria for Portugal today, June 28, according to a statement by his spokesman, Garba Shehu, will also join his host to chair an enlarged bilateral meeting and witness the signing of some agreements bordering on issues of mutual concern.
Garba Shehu said that President Buhari will also visit the Portuguese Parliament and hold discussions with its president, Dr. Augusto Santo Silva, as well as the Prime Minister of Portugal, Antonio Costa.
He said that in the course of the visit, the President is scheduled to address a Forum of Nigerian and Portuguese businessmen and hold separate meetings with select Portuguese Chief Executive Officers and prospective investors to Nigeria.
President Buhari will also participate in the United Nations Ocean Conference, which began in Lisbon on Monday, June 27, and runs till July 1.
The Conference, co-hosted by the Governments of Kenya and Portugal and supported by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), aims to accelerate the adoption of science-based innovative solutions to challenges facing oceans and the global marine ecosystem.
The Nigerian leader is also expected to engage members of the Nigerian community in Portugal on matters affecting them and developments at home.
The statement said that the President will be accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Adeniyi Adebayo; Minister of Youth and Sports, Sunday Dare and Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami.
Others are National Security Adviser, Maj-Gen Babagana Monguno (rtd); Director General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Amb. Ahmed Rufa’i Abubakar and Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) Honorable Abike Dabiri-Erewa.
The statement said that Buhari will return to Abuja on Saturday, July 2.
