Eniola Akinkuotu, Abuja

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has defended his decision to construct railways and roads extending into Niger Republic.

Buhari said this during an interview on Arise Television which aired on Thursday.

The President said borders were arbitrarily drawn by the French colonialists without taking into cognisance the cultural similarities of the people of Niger and Nigeria even as he revealed that he has first cousins in Niger Republic.

He argued that the people of the South-West similarly have cousins in neighbouring Benin Republic.

The President said another reason the railway is being constructed is to boost the friendly relationship with Niger which has helped Nigeria to prevent Boko Haram terrorists from gaining unfettered access into Nigeria.

Buhari added, “If you recall, when I came, I went to Chad, I went to Niger, I went to Cameroon. Look at what happened with Boko Haram. If we were not in a good relationship with Niger, Chad and Cameroon, Boko Haram would have done worse things to us and you say I am going to Niger.

“I told you the border between us and Niger is 1, 500km. And Niger (sic). I spoke to one French man and I had to tell him this. He spoke nonsense and I told him look, in 1885, you sat down and drew lines (boundaries). I said I have first cousins in Niger. There are Kanuris, there are Hausas, there are Fulanis in Niger Republic just as there are Yorubas in Benin. You can’t absolutely cut them off.”

He argued that the new rail would help Nigeria to compete with Benin Republic which has cornered entrepot trade in the region.

Buhari said Niger, which is a landlocked nation, has discovered oil, and Nigeria does not want them to do trade through Benin Republic.

“We want them to come through Nigeria. We want them to send their exports through Nigeria,” the President said.

The President said borders were arbitrarily drawn by the French colonialists without taking into cognisance the cultural similarities of the people of Niger and Nigeria even as he revealed that he has first cousins in Niger Republic.

He argued that the people of the South-West similarly have cousins in neighbouring Benin Republic.

Saifullah01:
Although true he said that, but I feel punch is emphasising the sensational part over the economic reason he provided which is a fair point.

Niger has no access to the sea and if Nigeria gets its act together infrastructurallyn, we will be the preferred route for Nigerien oil (and uranium). Imagine the attendant jobs and revenue that will accrue to Nigeria as a result of this. Not to speak of the geopolitical influence.

China is currently reviving the ancient silk road that connected East Asia and Southeast Asia with South Asia, Persia, the Arabian Peninsula, East Africa and Southern Europe through road constructions, seaport development, railways etc.

If Nigeria were to get her acts right we should be reviving the ancient trans-Sahara trate routes strategically building influence in the countries that currently occupy those routes (Timbuktu, Tripoli etc) and non of this North African country or middle eastern countries would have "nothing in us"

The President said borders were arbitrarily drawn by the French colonialists without taking into cognisance the cultural similarities of the people of Niger and Nigeria even as he revealed that he has first cousins in Niger Republic.

The President said another reason the railway is being constructed is to boost the friendly relationship with Niger which has helped Nigeria to prevent Boko Haram terrorists from gaining unfettered access into Nigeria.

BiafIntel:
Where are all those fools and zombies that are happy every day here that the same hypocrite fulanis redrew the borders of Igboland and are forcing us to accept it? Have you seen that the fulanis are hypocrites?

This fool doesn't want to accept British drawn international borders, but want us to accept his people;s hypocritical locally drown borders that ceded Igbo people into other states..............

BiafIntel:




Where are all those fools and zombies that are happy every day here that the same hypocrite fulanis redrew the borders of Igboland and are forcing us to accept it? Have you seen that the fulanis are hypocrites? This fool doesn't want to accept British drawn international borders, but want us to accept his people;s hypocritical locally drown borders that ceded Igbo people into other states. Wike of Rivers states must be the daftest and dumbest human ever to love. Long live the great Mazi Nnamdi Kanu for opening the eyes of Igbo zombies.

Saifullah01:
Although true he said that, but I feel punch is emphasising the sensational part over the economic reason he provided which is a fair point.

Niger has no access to the sea and if Nigeria gets its act together infrastructurallyn, we will be the preferred route for Nigerien oil (and uranium). Imagine the attendant jobs and revenue that will accrue to Nigeria as a result of this. Not to speak of the geopolitical influence.

China is currently reviving the ancient silk road that connected East Asia and Southeast Asia with South Asia, Persia, the Arabian Peninsula, East Africa and Southern Europe through road constructions, seaport development, railways etc. (read about it)

If Nigeria were to get her acts right we should be reviving the ancient trans-Sahara trate routes strategically building influence in the countries that currently occupy those routes (Timbuktu, Agades, Tripoli etc) non of this North African country or middle eastern countries would have "nothing in us". But we are to busy fighting ourselves to see the potential in ourselves

Mexzy4sho:


If he had explained it to us like this in the first place, the condemnation would have reduced.

Most of these rejections by the people is because of lack of information.

Alabama1237:
Na people tax paying money the wan use do that thing chia

atonement12:
If your " young visionary leader" is of fulani descent, you will get the same result.
The regions should take their destiny into their own hands in order to progress.

atonement12:

This is same denial of reality since pre-independence that has put middle-belt and Southerners in their precarious situation today.
You systemically try to downplay the major impact of culture, tradition, religion, education, tribal loyalty and sentiments in effective and competent leadership.

atonement12:
Why have the majority in a certain region, including their.youths, rejected strong institutions/restructuring and policies since pre-independence?
It's obvious you're a "kinsman"!

Icumsa45:


Buhari and APC supporters love to defend mediocrity, that's how one guy called coldshisha defended Tinubu as the best thing since sliced bread , shortly after the Lagos they were hyping ranked 139th out of 140 as worst cities to live in.