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Rabay – After his official visits to Ethiopia and Madagascar, King Mohammed announced last Saturday that he will visit Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, in early December.
During an exclusive interview with Malagasy press last week, King Mohammed VI said “At the time of the Paris Conference [of donors and investors for Madagascar scheduled to take place from December 1-2 at UNESCO headquarters in Paris], I will be visiting Abuja. I will nevertheless guarantee that Morocco will be present in Paris: a large delegation will support the priority infrastructure projects in Madagascar, and representatives of the government and the private sector will actively participate in its works.”
Morocco World News reported last week that the King is set to continue his tour by also paying a visit to Zambia following his Nigerian stop. Plans for these official visits were recently arranged during a talk between the King and officials from both Nigeria and Zambia.
Earlier this month Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari, tweeted that he is “grateful to King Mohammed VI for the heartfelt welcome and hospitality” he received during his visit to Morocco for the twenty second Conference of the Parties (COP22), which concluded November 18 in Marrakech.
As part of his goal to consolidate South-South partnership and embark on cooperative relationships other African countries, underpinned by groundbreaking economic projects, the King’s visit to Nigeria will enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries, especially regarding the sectors of agriculture and solar energy.
Besides the economic aspect of the visit, Morocco hopes to prompt Nigeria to reconsider its stance on the Western Sahara. Nigeria has been a vocal supporter of the Polisario, supporting its position as belonging to the axis Algeria-Abuja-Pretoria. Nigeria recognizes the self-proclaimed Sarahawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).
