Samoa agreement requires FEC, NEC approval – Minister

The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu, has clarified that the controversial Samoa agreement has not been finalised, and requires approval from both the Federal Executive Council and the National Executive Council and the National Assembly for it to become fully operational.

The agreement is named after the Pacific Island of Samoa, where it was signed on November 15, 2023.

Bagudu also debunked the LGBTQ agreement, stating that the partnership seeks to resolve peculiar issues of each region based on universally accepted international laws, conventions and treaties applicable to the parties.

He noted that a €1.7bn grant gotten from the partnership aided the implementation of over 5000 water, sanitation, energy, education, health and other micro project interventions in 4,800 communities nationwide.

Bagudu said, “The partnership between Nigeria and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States dates back to the Georgetown Agreement of 1975, which brought together countries in Africa, Caribbean and the Pacific for the establishment of a framework for trade and development cooperation with the European Union as one of its objectives.

“The finalised texts for a new Partnership Agreement between the OACPS and the EU which was initialed on 15th April 2021, comprises a common Foundational Compact and three Regional Protocols, namely: Africa –EU; Caribbean-EU and Pacific-EU Regional Protocols with each regional Protocol addressing the peculiar issues of the regions.

“The negotiations and outcomes of the Agreement were largely based on universally accepted international laws, conventions and treaties applicable to the Parties.”