By Mark Longyen

The United States (U.S.) Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills, has lauded the media in the country, noting that they are well-informed, robust, caring, committed, and among the best in Africa.

Mills made the commendation during a farewell dinner for the embassy’s departing Press Attaché, Gilbert Morton, and two other members of the Public Diplomacy section on Wednesday night in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the other two departing embassy officials were pubic diplomacy officers Victoria Cook and Katarina Ramos.

The envoy underscored the critical contributions of the trio to strengthening media relations, as well as U.S.-Nigeria relations through the media, cultural and educational outreach.

Amb. Mills pledged to deepen the U.S. Mission’s broader commitment to public engagement in Nigeria about his country’s policies, issues, goals and deepen diplomatic relations between Nigeria and U.S.

“The Nigerian press is among the most well-informed, most caring, most committed press, I think, on this continent.

“It is very important that the U.S. engages with the press about our policies, issues, and our goals for both Nigeria and U.S.”

Mills particularly acknowledged the role of  Morton in building media relationships, as well as championing education outreach.

“Gil got me into the arena with so many of the folks here,” he said.

The ambassador also applauded the embassy’s entire Public Diplomacy team for their tireless efforts in promoting shared values between the two countries.

“We are a team committed to making sure the values Nigerians and Americans share prevail in the world and shape our children’s futures.

“The biggest part of that is our public outreach, discussing those values, making them understood, and ensuring they endure,” he added.

Also speaking, Morton shared his gratitude for the media support he received during his transition to Nigeria, which he described as “a rewarding professional experience.”

According to the outgoing embassy spokesman, the robust Nigerian press and the embassy’s educational outreach, are the highlights of his time in the country.

“Coming out here, it was a new adventure, and I really could not have asked for a better team to support me in that transition,” he said.

Cook, who coordinated numerous cultural engagements and “American Spaces” programmes, expressed appreciation for the opportunity to work across Nigeria and alongside the alumni of various U.S. government initiatives.

“It’s been a real privilege for me. I really knew that I was here to empower you, to just make sure that your good ideas, your creative dreams  could continue to flourish,” she said.

Ramos, who managed the youth portfolio schedule, spoke about the immense potential she witnessed among young Nigerians.

The diplomat expressed her deep love and admiration for Nigerian culture, the warm hospitality she received throughout her posting, adding that this was the highpoint of her time and experience in the country.

“You have amazingly talented, industrious individuals here in Nigeria, and it has been a privilege to touch just a few of your lives,” she said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Emmanuel Yashim

By Mark Longyen

The United States, United Kingdom, Finland, Norway, and Canadian envoys to Nigeria on Thursday congratulated the West African country and its citizens on the 26 years of democratic governance.  

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that they expressed their goodwill to Nigeria and its people in a joint statement signed by U.S. Ambassador, Richard Mills; British High Commissioner, Richard Montgomery; Finland Ambassador, Sanna Selin; Norwagian Ambassador, Svein Baera, and Canadian High Commissioner, Pasquale Salvaggio.

According to them, healthy democracies are formed by important ingredients, while free expression has long been a core value of Nigeria’s democracy.  

The envoys noted that while marking 25 years of democracy in Nigeria in 2024, President Bola Tinubu had underlined that in Nigeria “there must be diverse perspectives and viewpoints.”  

“Nigeria’s constitution enshrines the right to freedom of expression, aiming to protect its citizens’ rights and foster a society where people can debate and discuss ideas free from government control.  

“This right, a principle of trusting ordinary citizens to have discussion in the virtual public square, remains vital today,” they said.

The five countries’ heads of mission, however, called for the reform of the Cybercrimes Act 2015, as amended in 2024, and cautioned against the law’s negative impact on free expression.  

According to them, misuse of the Cybercrimes Act can undermine democratic advancement, civic participation, jeopardise the confidence of investors and risk deterring the innovation needed for economic growth.

“In 2022, the ECOWAS Court of Justice ruled that the Act is not in conformity with the country’s obligations related to freedom of expression under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

“The Act, which was originally intended to combat online fraud and cyberterrorism, can be misused as a tool to stifle free expression and undermine democratic engagement.

“This distortion of the law’s original intent can lead to citizens becoming hesitant to speak out, weakening democratic accountability and potentially fuelling distrust in government,” they said.

The envoys, however, welcomed the Minister of Information’s commitment to collaborate with the National Assembly and relevant stakeholders toward reviewing the Act, so that it could protect the values enshrined in Nigeria’s constitution.

They further noted that the implications of amending the Act would extend beyond free expression, stressing that Nigeria’s economic future would also depend on its ability to innovate and attract foreign investments in the digital age.  

“The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) estimates that the country loses 500 million dollars per year to cybercrime. This problem requires a response.  

“However, the Cybercrimes Act’s broad language, especially its vague definitions of “false information,” “cyberstalking,” “harassment,” and “insult” leave room for confusion and potential abuse.  

“The Cybercrimes Act, if misapplied, even in a small number of cases, risks detracting the innovators and entrepreneurs the government wants to invest in Nigeria,” they further admonished.

The ambassadors also urged Nigerian lawmakers to consider reform of the Cybercrimes Act to narrow the definitions of key terms such as “false information,” cyberstalking,” insult,” hatred,” and “harassment.”

“As friends of Nigeria, who share the country’s strong commitment to democratic values, we want Nigeria to realise its potential as a democratic digital powerhouse.  

“This will be a difficult balance to strike but is vital for delivering what Nigeria wants — a stable and open democracy, and economic growth underpinned by investment.

“Nigeria is not alone in facing this problem. Democracies across the world are grappling with the ever-evolving challenges and opportunities that the digital world presents,” the envoys added. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Emmanuel Yashim

By Busayo Onijala

Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Yusuf Tuggar, has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to having closer economic and diplomatic cooperation with China.

Tugger told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in China that tangible progress had been made under the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) framework.

Tuggar described FOCAC as not just a forum for discussions but a platform for action.

He spoke on the sidelines of the Ministerial Meeting of Coordinators on the Implementation of FOCAC Follow-up Actions in Changsha, Hunan Province.

NAN reports that FOCAC, established in 2000, remains the cornerstone of Sino-African relations, providing a framework for cooperation in trade, security, infrastructure development and people-to-people exchanges.

Year 2025 marks the 25th anniversary of FOCAC, and over the past years, China has supported Africa in building or upgrading nearly 100,000km of roads and over 10,000km of railways.

Also, over the past three years, Chinese enterprises have created more than 1.1 million new jobs in Africa, according to China’s Foreign Ministry.

Tuggar’s remarks come at a time when Africa is increasingly looking to diversify its economy beyond natural resource exports, while positioning itself as a key player in the global technological race.

He said that high-impact projects, such as the Zungeru hydroelectric power plant and the Lagos-Ibadan rail project, had been made possible by Chinese support and investment.

The minister also emphasised Nigeria’s ongoing negotiations with China to expand its zero-tariff access currently covering Least Developed Countries (LDCs) with diplomatic ties with China.

He urged that Nigeria be included in the broader zero-tariff framework for African countries to boost its export of key goods, including agricultural produce and minerals.

“We want to see more domestication of the refining process and also domestication of value addition on the supply and value chain,” he said.

Implementing zero-tariff treatment for 100 per cent tariff lines is one of the 10 partnership actions for China and Africa to jointly advance modernisation.

China has continued to express readiness to support Africa to accelerate its industrialisation and agricultural modernisation.

Tuggar raised concerns about the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence and satellite technologies, saying that Nigeria and the entire Africa should be included in the transformative sectors.

He noted that the global landscape was rapidly changing, saying that it would be essential to not only engage but also to have benefits.

Earlier, in his keynote address, Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, noted 130.32 billion yuan surge in financial support across Africa in the last nine months, and 139.95 billion yuan in insurance coverage for China-Africa cooperation.

According to him, this is in addition to the expansion of trade opportunities for the continent’s LDCs.

He said that China was willing to collaborate with Africa to build a more stable and prosperous future.

After the ministerial meeting will be the Fourth China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, from June 12 to June 15, with the theme, “China and Africa: Together toward Modernisation”.

The expo will attract participants from over 50 African countries including Nigeria, and will focus on agriculture, infrastructure development and industrial chain collaboration, among others. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ijeoma Popoola