The Federal Government defended the Samoa Agreement yesterday, asserting that it was signed in the best interest of Nigeria.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, clarified in a statement in Abuja: “On June 28, 2024, Nigeria signed the Samoa Agreement at the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS) secretariat in Brussels, Belgium.
“The partnership agreement involves the EU and its member states on one side, and the OACPS member states on the other.
“Negotiations began in 2018 on the sidelines of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly. The agreement was initially signed in Apia, Samoa, on November 15, 2018, by all 27 EU member states and 47 of the 79 OACPS member states.
“The agreement comprises 103 articles, including a common foundational compact and three regional protocols: Africa-EU, Caribbean-EU, and Pacific-EU. Each regional protocol addresses specific issues relevant to its region.
“The African regional protocol is divided into two parts: the framework for cooperation and areas of cooperation. These areas include inclusive and sustainable economic growth and development, human and social development, environment and climate change, peace and security, human rights, democracy, governance, and migration and mobility.
“Nigeria signed the agreement on Friday, June 28, 2024, after extensive reviews and consultations by an interministerial committee. Convened by the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Federal Ministry of Justice, this committee confirmed that none of the 103 articles and provisions of the agreement contravenes the 1999 Constitution as amended or the laws of Nigeria. Additionally, Nigeria’s endorsement included a Statement of Declaration dated June 26, 2024, clarifying that any provision inconsistent with Nigerian laws would be invalid.
“It is necessary to assure Nigerians that the President Bola Tinubu administration, being rule-based, will not enter into any international agreement detrimental to the country’s interests and its citizens.
“In negotiating the agreement, our officials strictly followed the mandates exchanged in 2018 between the EU and the OACPS.
“The Samoa Agreement is a vital legal framework for cooperation between the OACPS and the EU, aimed at promoting sustainable development, fighting climate change, generating investment opportunities, and fostering collaboration among OACPS member states on the international stage.
“Notably, only five of the 79 OACPS member states, including Equatorial Guinea, Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago, Nauru, and Tuvalu, have yet to sign the agreement. All 27 EU member states signed on November 15, 2023.”
