Wike Meets Cuba, Mexico Ambassadors, Seeks Partnership on Health, Investment

Olawale Ajimotokan, Abuja

The Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, yesterday parleyed with the Ambassadors of Cuba and Mexico to Nigeria on health partnership and investment opportunities in the FCT.

The minister, who first met the Cuban Ambassador, Miriam Morales Palmero, said that Nigeria would like to leverage Cuba’s medical breakthrough in the development of anti-malarial drugs.
She said Cuba, through Labiofam, a Cuban-based pharmaceutical company, had developed a single anti-malarial dose which can also be used for some other diseases.

Palmero disclosed that Nigeria had in 2016 signed an agreement with the company as part of efforts to eliminate malaria.
She stressed that investors from her country would like to partner with the FCT administration in the areas of agriculture, tourism, and job creation.
The envoy invited the minister to Cuba to see the achievements made so far by Cuba and the areas he would require collaboration.
In a related development, Wike informed the Mexican Ambassador, Alfredo Miranda Ortiz, that President Bola Tinubu had eliminated bureaucracy that constituted encumbrance to investments in the country.

“Mexico is a country noted for agriculture and we would like to partner with a country that will add value to our economic development.
“I am tired of signing MoUs. I want actions that will bring benefits to the country”. Wike said.
Ambassador Ortiz assured Wike that once there was an enabling environment, Mexican investors would be glad to bring their skills in agriculture to Nigeria.
He said the two countries have a large number of similarities, including a multi-cultural population that should be used for mutual benefits.

“Both countries have been colonized. Both countries have a political system based on the federal system. Mexico has 32 states, Nigeria has 36 states, and we know what exactly these numbers mean because the democracy construction with these big numbers is always a daily basis work,” Ortiz said.