President Muhammadu Buhari has met with His Royal Majesty, King Charles III in Buckingham Palace to foster Nigeria’s bilateral relationship with the United Kingdom.
Buhari said Nigeria is a large market and it is only wise for the business relationship between the two countries to be nurtured.
“Firstly, we are to meet with the king in Kigali but unfortunately, the meeting was postponed. He is interested very much in Nigeria, maybe because of Nigeria’s relationship with Britain for long, our economic strength, I think we are still of great attachment to them,” he said.
Nigeria, formerly a Great Britain colony, attained independence on October 1, 1960, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II who died in September 2022 at the ripe age of 96.
Buhari said the current monarch, who was crowned king after the passing of his mother, “speaks very well of Nigeria and wants the relationship to continue and if possible improve”.
“Most economic, Nigerian businessmen and British men want to continue to work together. Let them make sure that the relationship is improved instead of being allowed to go down,” the President said.
‘No Going Back On Naira Redesign’
Furthermore, the President said there is no going back on the planned redesign of the N1,000, N500, and N200 bank notes, adding that politicians won’t be allowed to mobilize resources and thugs to intimidate voters in the 2023 general elections.
He also said the policy announced by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele on October 26, 2022, has come to stay.
“No going back,” Buhari said of the decision to redesign the three naira notes.
“My aim is to make sure that Nigerians believe that we respect them as an administration.
“So, Nigerians should vote for whoever they like from whichever political party. Nobody will be allowed to mobilize resources and thugs to intimidate people in any constituency. That is what I want to go down in Nigerian history for as a leader.”
King Charles III had written to the Nigerian president, sympathizing with him over the devastating floods that have killed hundreds and displaced millions in the West African nation.
Buhari traveled to London on October 31 for a “routine medical check-up”.
