Nigeria and Cuba Recommit to Closer co-operation in Cuba matters that are aimed at promoting the over-all well-being of the citizens of the both countries and the development of their potential in health tourism, education, medicine as well as in cultural exchange.
In a press release sign by Hon Nkem Anyata-Lafia
Special Adviser to the C’mte Chair on Media and Public Affairs, on July 7, 2021.
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The above was made known, Tuesday, during a visit to the Cuban Embassy in Abuja by members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives.
Speaking during the visit, Chairman of the Committee, Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Yusuf Buba Yakub told the Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria, Ms Clara M. Pulido- Escandel, that it was in the tradition of Nigerians and, indeed, an aspect of diplomacy, to reciprocate visits and acts of kindness.
Buba said it was in line with that tradition that, the Committee of the House had come to return her visit to the House of Representatives earlier in the year,adding that the Committee, equally,sought to use the opportunity of the visit to express solidarity with the Cuban people in their trying times.
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While informing that, with the announcement of the leadership of the Parliamentary Friendship Groups by the Speaker,the Committee, Buba said, was fully ready to exchange visits with Parliamentary Groups of other nations to share perspectives on issues of law-making and to deepen friendship and co- operation.
The Gombi/Hong Rep again expressed support and solidarity with the people of Cuba for the global attention the economic and sundry blockade and embago placed on their country were receiving at the moment. The lawmaker expressed optimism that, with the recent stand of the United Nations on the blockade, things were, indeed, beginning to really look up for the country experiencing trying times as a result of the economic and commercial blockade.
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Responding, the Cuban Ambassador, Ms Pullido-Escandel, expressed appreciation to the Committee for the visit and the solidarity the members had conveyed. She said the support of Nigeria was, particularly, heartening because of the common roots Nigeria shares with a lot of citizens of Cuba; while pointing out the following in her words:
“We have a root in Africa and a great part of it is here in Nigeria.”
The Cuban Ambassador also commended the law makers for the friendship and co-operation she has enjoyed from Nigerians across the country, who she observed, pursued with remarkable efforts and zeal the campaign against the COVID-19 infection in the height of the pandemic. She used the opportunity to inform of the development of about five candidate vaccines in Cuba, which she said were already up for WHO confirmation and certification.She said some of the vaccines were as high as 92% efficacious and expressed the hope that,given Cuba’s history in vaccine production, a foundation that was laid by the late Cuban leader,Fidel Castro,the vaccines would become even better and be ready for global administration soon.
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Continuing, Ms Pullido Escandel,who chronicled the giant strides Cuba has made in the field of Medicine, said her country,which thrives more in identifying and treating the causes of ailments rather than their symptoms, would in the fullness of time provide Nigeria with the COVID-19 vaccines. She also informed that they had in recent times also had the opportunity to dispatch teams of medical professionals to places like Jigawa and Kaduna States,where Cuba has ongoing collaboration in Nigeria at present. She regretted that paucity of resources had in recent times limited their intentions to do better,while, however,adding that countries like Togo, Angola, Kenya as well as South Africa, where the team also attended to programmes on malaria and mosquito eradication,a feat the Cubans achieved in their country in the 1960s,also received the attention of the Cuban Medical professionals when they visited Africa.
The Cuban diplomat finally expressed the willingness to extend the frontiers of relations in all areas of cooperation, including education, cultural exchange, parliamentary practice, Medicine as well as exploring of closer and deeper ties with some States in Nigeria,some of which have witnessed the touch of Cuba- trained Nigerian Medical professionals that are making their country proud with what they have been taught. She also used the opportunity to note that Nigerian Medical professionals,who were trained in Nigeria before reaching out for higher goals in Cuba,have also proven to the world that they have got all it takes to excel in the profession.
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Among those who were part of the visit were the Chairman of the Committee, Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Yusuf Buba Yakub; Hon. Moshood Kayode Akiolu and
Hon. James Owolabi Adisa.Others are Hon. Laori Kwamoti,Hon. (Prof) Steve Azaiki as well as Hon. Dachung M.
