Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has named an expressway in the nation’s capital after the Niger Republic President, Issoufou Mahamadou.
At a ceremony in Abuja on Tuesday, FCT Minister, Muhammed Bello, alongside Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama said the expressway was named after Mahamadou for his “significant role in the promotion of peace in Africa”.
“Earlier today, the first phase of the on-going Outer Southern Expressway in Abuja was named the ‘Mahamadou Issoufou Expressway’ in honour of the President of the Republic of Niger, Mahamadou Issoufou.
“The road was named after the Nigerien President by President Muhammadu Buhari as a mark of deep appreciation for the maintenance of brotherly relationship between Nigeria and the Republic of Niger and in recognition of the Nigerien President’s significant role in the promotion of peace in Africa,” the FCT Minister said.
The Nigerien President tweeted, “My brother and friend, @MBuhari, did me the honor to call an Abuja expressway ‘Mahamadou Issoufou Expressway’. This testifies, beyond our personal relations, to the excellent relations that exist between #Nigeria and Niger. His caring touches me. I thank him very much.”
Issoufou recently won the prestigious 2020 Mo Ibrahim prize for Achievement in African Leadership and becomes the sixth recipient of the award.
By Abel Ejikeme