Nigeria and Cuba on Monday in Abuja signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, on bilateral relations.
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar and his visiting Cuban counterpart, Bruno Eduardo Rodriguez Parrilla signed the MoU after a closed-door deliberations.
Nigeria’s Minister explained that the MoU bordered on strengthening relations, especially in the area of trade, medicine, science, and technology.
He said: “We just signed an agreement, an MoU, to further strengthen our political relationship and to further strengthen our collaboration bilaterally as well as multilaterally.
“Of course, during the course of our bilateral meeting, we discussed several areas to do with enhancing trade, investment, and collaboration with regards to the medical sector, with regards to research, with regards to science, with regards to technology.
“This is something that Nigeria is keenly looking forward to working together with Cuba towards actualising.
“So for us, we consider Cuba as part of Nigeria’s Diaspora. This visit provides us with an opportunity to further strengthen existing ties and agreements and memoranda of understanding that are already in place, and also, just as you witnessed, for us to sign new ones.”
Tuggar noted that the relationship between both countries dates back to the era of the fight for the emancipation of Africa, adding that Cuba and Nigeria also share common culture and traditions.
He said: “Cuba is a country with a special place in Nigeria, going back into history. What we share in terms of experience, in terms of culture and tradition, is something that we hold dear to our hearts.
“Before the existence of both countries in the shape and form that we know them today, perhaps there were people from this part of the world, or this location even, that featured prominently in the formation of what was to become Cuba, because we learn from history that Diego Velazquez supposedly conquered Cuba in 1511, and we know from history that when that event took place, there were black people in his company.
“Even though you find that in contemporary written history, some of these facts are not recognised, but there were nonetheless black people that were there, that were part of that, albeit maybe under certain circumstances that were not their choice.
“So that history goes, and of course, Cuba is a country that played a very prominent role in the liberation of the African continent, countries that were under the yoke of racist regimes in the 60s and the 70s, all the way to the 80s and perhaps I would say early 90s. As did, of course, Nigeria, because it was back then Nigeria and the front line states.
“So we share that common affinity, apart from the culture, the Yoruba culture in particular, and even the Shakiri and other cultures here in Nigeria still feature prominently in Cuba, from music to cuisine, and so forth.”
The Cuban minister, who is visiting Nigeria for the second time, said Cuba was ready to explore the potential for both countries to enhance bilateral relations, pledging his country’s full commitment to enhance bilateral relations with Nigeria.
He said: “We confirm that there is a very positive potential in order to enhance our cooperation, trade, investment, economic, cultural, academic, scientific relations. We have been exchanging views on this matter in order to explore some new interests and consolidate the current ones.
“We enjoy an excellent level of bilateral relationship in many different areas, having a very proactive exchange and commonalities in our international agendas, a very proactive level of bilateral cooperation and consultation in bilateral ways and also in multilateral foreign and international organisations.”
He also said, “I’m sure that this visit is a positive step and an excellent base for continuing having positive exchange, exploring additional interests for the sake of the Nigerian and the Cuban people.
“We Cubans consider ourselves of a Latin American-African people, African descent, and most importantly, Nigerian descent. Nigeria, modern Nigeria, is in our blood, in our culture, in our religions, in our traditions.”
He disclosed that he was in Abuja firstly to express his country’s “profound appreciation and gratitude to the contribution by Nigeria to our culture and our country, and because of the stand taken by your country on the issue of the embargo on Cuba.”
He added that: “We feel very proud of ourselves as Latin American, African people, and we’ll always be loyal to this special history in commonality with Africa, but especially with the federal republic of Nigeria.”
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