Barely a day after he received the highest national award of Niger Republic, Grand Croix Des Ordre National Du Niger, President Muhammadu Buhari has returned the favour by naming a road in the in FCT after Mahamadou Issoufou, the outgoing President of Niger Republic.
President Issoufou, recently won the prestigious 2020 Mo Ibrahim prize for Achievement in African Leadership.
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At the ceremony held in ABuja, the President, who was represented by the FCT Minister, Mohammed Bello commended Issoufou’s contribution to peace-building in Africa.
“Earlier today, the first phase of the on-going Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX) in Abuja was named the ‘Mahamadou Issoufou Expressway’ in honour of the President of the Republic of Niger, Mahamadou Issoufou,” the minister said.
“The road was named after the Nigerien President by President @MBuhari as a mark of deep appreciation for the maintenance of brotherly relationship between Nigeria & the Rep. of Niger & in recognition of the Nigerien President’s significant role in the promotion of peace in Africa.”
Born in 1952, Issoufou was first elected as President of Niger Republic in 2011. He served as the the prime minister of the West African country from 1993 to 1994, president of the National Assembly from 1995 to 1996, and he has been a candidate in each presidential election since 1993.
He led the Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS-Tarayya), a social democratic party, from its foundation in 1990 until his election as president in 2011.