The wages of good neighbourliness

The two-day State visit of President Biya to Nigeria is expected to produce far reaching positive effects on relations between the two nations.

It is certainly not the number of days spent in a visit that really matters but the volume and quality of things done during the visit. The Joint Communiqué that emerged from the two-day State visit President Paul Biya accompanied by his wife, Chantal Biya, paid to the Federal Republic of Nigeria tells of the ambition and determination of the Heads of State of the two countries to achieve a common goal, that of fighting insecurity and tackling issues of economic development.

All along their speeches, declarations, actions and countenances during the two days in Abuja, it was clear the two leaders want to turn a page and incidentally engrave their names in the annals of relations between Cameroon and Nigeria. For those who are able to fathom the historic, cultural and geographic links between the two countries, it was but normal to see such enthusiasm ignited in Yaounde during the visit to Cameroon of President Muhammadu Buhari continue in Abuja.

A close observation of the issues discussed during the various stages of the visit indicates that no topic was considered a taboo. In their one-on-one discussions which took place in an atmosphere of friendship and brotherliness, a wide range of bilateral, regional and international issues were tackled. Issues concerning insecurity especially the Boko Haram insurgency, occupied pride of place as one would have expected. This of course, was seen as very normal considering the nefarious effects Boko Haram attacks have inflicted on the populations of both countries.

Insecurity, it must be noted, has serious effect on the development of the two countries. Huge resources that would have been used in boosting development projects are being directed to fighting Boko Haram. The number of refugees continues to grow and as President Buhari stated in his speech at the State Banquet, over 56,000 Nigerians alone have lost their lives since July, 2014.

The Abuja meeting was equally occasion for the two Presidents to remind themselves of the risk of focusing only on the fight against Boko Haram to the detriment of their economies. This explains the signing of the agreement on trade and a Memorandum of Understanding on the Technical Consultation for the Management of Water Resources of the Benue Basin.

They were particularly satisfied with the growing interest of investors of both countries in each other’s economies considering that as an element that militates in favour of strengthening and expanding already existing mutually beneficial economic cooperation between the two countries.

Trade between Nigeria, it should be recalled, has always existed, but has seriously hinged on informal arrangements. The two countries have been working towards formalising the sector so it can produce more benefit for both nations.

This zeal threaded through the Abuja meeting of official delegations who, in the document proposed to the Heads of State and approved by the two leaders, pledged readiness to work with each other to harness the investment potentials that both countries have in order to open up opportunities for their peoples. Against this backdrop, the Ministers of Economy of the two countries were urged to convene the Nigeria – Cameroon Business Forum in Abuja as soon as possible.

The two leaders welcomed the recent meeting between the experts of both countries on the modalities for the construction of a bridge over the Mayo-Tiel river that will link Belel in Nigeria and Demsa in Cameroon and Related infrastructure along the Jabbi Lamba-Garoua Corridor and instructed that a Memorandum of Understanding as well as the Terms of Reference and the execution of the project be signed as soon as possible.

Having asserted the milestone covered in the fight against Boko Haram, the two leaders agreed that, experts of both countries under the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission resume the demarcation exercise as soon as possible following the gradual return of peace to the affected areas.