President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday departed Nigeria for Saudi Arabia and Qatar on yet another round of foreign trips, although this time to discuss oil price.
He is accompanied on this visit by minister of state for petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, who doubles as the current Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.
In a statement released by Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the president’s itinerary include flying to Riyadyh for talks with King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and senior officials of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The statement reads:
“Ongoing efforts by Nigeria and other members of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, to achieve greater stability in the price of crude oil exports are expected to be high on the agenda of discussions between President Buhari and the Saudi monarch.
“Crude oil prices and market stability will also be on the front burner when President Buhari goes on to Doha, Qatar, on Saturday for talks on Sunday with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.”
According to the statement, President Buhari will also hold meetings with heads of international financial organisations and multilateral associations in Saudi Arabia. It also said the president would visit Medina and Makkah to pray for greater peace, prosperity and progress in Nigeria before going on to Doha.
President Buhari has faced serious criticisms for embarking on foreign trips too often. This year alone, he has already visited Benin Republic, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Ethiopia, France, London and Egypt so far.
One wonders, how the latest trip would help to stabilise the price of crude?