Tony Blair visits Tinubu in Abuja and pledges to work with the incoming administration

FORMER British prime minister Tony Blair has arrived in Abuja for the inauguration and sweating-in of Bola Tinubu as Nigeria's new president and already held a meeting with him where he promised to support the administration.

Next Monday, on May 29, former Lagos State governor Asiwaju Bola Tinubu will become the 16th president of Nigeria after what will be the nation’s seventh transition ceremony. It will be attended by foreign heads of state and government as well as past presidents, diplomats, heads of international organisations, prominent Nigerians and representatives of global agencies.

One director in the ministry of foreign affairs confirmed that several African leaders have indicated an interest in attending the inauguration ceremony which will take place at Eagle Square, Abuja. He added that representatives of Nigeria’s traditional allies such as the US, the UK, Canada, France, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, China, Germany, Finland, Jamaica, Japan, Israel and Turkey are also expected at the high-profile event.

Today, Mr Blair held a meeting with Asiwaju Tinubu at Defence House, Abuja, where he expressed his readiness to support the incoming administration. He added that the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, which he founded, would be a willing partner of the Tinubu administration especially in prioritising its goals and delivery.

According to Mr Blair, since leaving office as the UK prime minister, he has been working with governments around the world to help them deliver on their mandates. He said the Blair Institute for Global Change has a project in place in Nigeria and felt it was incumbent upon him to meet the incoming president to understand the administration’s priorities.

Mr Blair said: “We would like to help in any way with your administration. We only need to know what the leadership priorities are and help in how to actualise them.”

He commended Mr Tinubu’s campaign focus on key areas of security, economy, agriculture and power, describing the intertwined nature of the areas as critical to the development of any society. Mr Blair expressed optimism that with the appetite shown by investors to invest in Nigeria, the Tinubu administration could get the support it needs to spur economic development in the country.

However,. Mr Blair acknowledged the difficult task before Asiwaju Tinubu and other leaders, at a time of global turmoil. He added:  “Being in government today anywhere in the world is tough. You have things happening around the world which affect you and for which you can’t do anything much."

In his response, Asiwaju Tinubu, expressed appreciation to Mr Blair for the visit and for his offer to work with his administration. He spoke of the shared vision between him and Tony Blair Institute in their priority areas and underlined the importance of tackling investment challenges and the need for social investment to fight poverty.