Tackling challenges: EU unveils plans to promote partnership with Africa
The European Union, yesterday, launched an ambitious campaign underlining the increasing significance of its long-standing partnership with Africa and how it is transforming lives and inspiring hopes across the continents.
The Africa–EU campaign reflects on some of the initiatives that position the two continents as model, reliable, ambitious and dynamic partners.
It also highlights the strength of the partnership, which has brought together peoples and institutions of both continents in pursuit of common goals for a better world.
The Africa-EU Campaign, tagged ‘We See Africa’, runs simultaneously in Nigeria, Cameroon, Congo, Tanzania and Zimbabwe, and builds on the resounding success of a previous one conducted across seven other African countries from 2020-2021. Sensational music maestro, Teniola Akpata (Teni) and iconic brand influencer, Eniola Adeoluwa (Eni), are the faces of the campaign in Nigeria.
Addressing newsmen in Lagos over the development, EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms Samuela Isopi, said: “Africa shares a rich history with the EU, its closest neighbour. Collaborating with Africa to find solution to common challenges is, more than ever before, a key priority for the EU. By strengthening their multi-dimensional cooperation and promoting sustainable development, both continents can co-exist in peace, security, democracy, prosperity, solidarity and human dignity. In the face of big challenges such as pandemics, security, finding green and digital solutions, climate change and migration, Africa and the EU has already proven to be more effective working together.
“Our long history of interaction and geographical proximity has over the years, inspired us to be creative and ambitious in the way we confront our common problems; preserve our shared values, and work towards our common interest and goals.
“Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, largest democracy and biggest economy, is a key partner of the EU within the African continent.
“The vibrancy, dynamism, motivation and resilience of Nigeria’s mainly young population reflect the uniqueness of a continent fired up by imaginative ideas and relentless optimism. From the prism of Nigeria, the EU sees Africa.
“Within the context of its strategic partnership with Nigeria, the EU has been providing support to the country to promote peace and security, democratic governance and rule of law, human rights and freedoms and prosperity. Key features of the EU’s cooperation with Nigeria include regular political and policy dialogues and strengthened collaboration to fight violent extremism, improve indices of human development, good governance, migration, trade and regional integration.
According to her, the overarching priority of the EU is to support better prospects for Nigeria’s predominantly young population by tackling some of the critical challenges like unemployment, criminality and violent extremism and armed conflict.
Ambassador Isopi said the EU was Nigeria’s first partner in foreign direct investments, with EU companies contributing, together with their Nigerian business partners, to the country’s economic growth, job creation and wealth generation.
She explained that together with its member states, the EU was the biggest donor of COVID-19 vaccines to Nigeria, and had so far given the country 30 million doses, representing over 60 per cent of all donated vaccines received by Nigeria through the COVAX facility.
“Also addressed within the framework of the EU-Nigeria partnership are key development issues, including energy, food security, resilience, environmental sustainability and climate change, and as well, enhance regional cooperation.
“The EU alongside its member states and European development finance institutions, in July launched the 1.3 billion euros Green Economy Team Europe Initiative.”
She added that the initiative pulled together 60 projects to assist Nigeria achieve low carbon, resource efficient and climate resilient development, creating jobs for youths and economic growth, focussing on climate-smart agriculture, circular and digital economy.
“We look forward to further strengthening these relations and helping create the necessary conditions for the private sector to operate and contribute to developing the country,” she said.
One of the newly appointed ambassadors, Akpata, who combines her career in music with farming, said she was excited by the opportunity to work with the EU.
“We have had the wrong information that farmers are poor, but you can’t do anything without eating.
“We have to educate our people about agriculture. We have the capacity; the population and soil, but the thing lacking is education,” she said.
Similarly, Adeoluwa said he was grateful to be appointed EU ambassador.
He said it was important to get young people involved in developmental initiatives, using the social media to change the world.
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