Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, has called for the establishment of parliamentary diplomacy to strengthen relations between Nigeria and Cuba in areas including healthcare, education, research, and strategic investment.
Abbas made this call in Abuja while
receiving a Cuban delegation led by Hon. Fernando González Llort, a prominent
Cuban figure and President of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the
Peoples (ICAP). Represented by his deputy, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, the Speaker
emphasized the need to deepen the relationship between the two countries.
He highlighted key areas of
potential collaboration, including parliamentary diplomacy, healthcare, trade
and culture, biotechnology, and the pharmaceutical industry.
According to Abbas, the Nigeria–Cuba
Parliamentary Friendship Group would serve as a platform for agreements,
legislative endorsements, and initiatives that can deliver tangible results. He
added that cultural ties in music, sports, and literature should be transformed
into business opportunities for Nigerians.
On healthcare, the Speaker commended
Cuba’s contributions in sending doctors to different countries, noting that
cooperation in training, vaccine production, and drug development would help
strengthen Nigeria’s health system.
Head of the Cuban delegation, Fernando
González Llort, praised the existing relations between the two nations and
stressed the need to expand exchanges and cooperation between the legislatures
of Nigeria and Cuba. He also expressed Cuba’s interest in boosting economic
ties with Nigeria.
Llort extended an invitation to Nigeria’s Deputy Speaker to visit Cuba, where further discussions on parliamentary diplomacy and other mutually beneficial areas would continue.