President Muhammadu Buhari and the King of Morocco, King Mohammed VI, have agreed to collaborate in order to combat violent extremism, terrorism and other security challenges in Africa.
These were contained in a joint communique made available by the Presidency on Monday at the end of Buhari’s two-day official visit to Morocco.
The communique read in part, “The two Heads of State, in the spirit of the holy month of Ramadan, underscored their commitment to moderation, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence, as taught by Islam.
“They expressed deep concerns about violent extremism, terrorism and the persistence of security threats in Africa.
“They affirmed their resolve to strengthen cooperation in efforts to combat radicalisation in Africa and beyond.”
The communique states that King Mohammed VI congratulated Buhari for his leadership in the regional initiative against terrorism in the Lake Chad region and commended his efforts in the fight against corruption and his role as the African Union anti-corruption champion.
It stated further that Buhari’s visit reinforced the positive bilateral relationship between Morocco and Nigeria since the king’s visit to Abuja in December 2016.
The Moroccan king and Buhari affirmed their willingness to create a model of South-South cooperation.
“In this spirit, they welcomed the significant progress made in various areas of cooperation, such as agriculture, fertilizer production, energy infrastructure and mining.
“His Majesty King Mohammed VI and His Excellency, President Buhari, noted with satisfaction the milestones achieved and underscored their commitment to the Regional Gas Pipeline, which will connect Nigeria’s gas resources, to those of some West African countries and Morocco, thereby fostering integration and development of countries in the West African region.
“The two Heads of State also noted progress made in other areas of the bilateral cooperation, as evidenced by the Agreement between OCP of Morocco and the Fertiliser Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria to invest in Fertiliser Production; and the Memorandum of Understanding between OCP and the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority on the establishment of a Basic Chemicals Platform, specifically to develop a significant Ammonia Production Plant.
“On the basis of their exemplary cooperation, the two Heads of State agreed to develop a partnership in the field of agriculture, particularly through the signing of Cooperation Agreement on vocational training and technical supervision,” the communique added.