Retreat to teach NASS Nigeria”s foreign policy stance

Legislators on the Senate foreign affairs commitee meet in Kaduna for a three-day retreat to broaden their understanding of foreign affairs.

The retreat by the ministry of foreign affairs is also to ensure legislators have a deeper understanding of Nigeria’s foreign policy as well as sustain existing robust relationships.

Minister of state for foreign affairs, Khadija Ibrahim  said the retreat is to bridge existing gap between the Ministry and the National Assembly foreign affairs committee members.

The retreat will examine the 2015 Saminaka Declaration with a focus on Nigeria’s ‎role in global affairs, analyse Nigeria’s foreign policy as a catalytic tool for national development.

It will also explore and propose various ways of capacity building for members of NASS committees on foreign affairs and officers of ministry of foreign affairs for effective and efficient service delivery and performance.

The Minister who acknowledged that foreign policy implementation is a very costly enterprise, expressed confidence that at the end of the ‎retreat, the NASS as an appropriation institution would be in a better position to justify the huge resources needful for conduct of diplomatic representation.

"It is my expectation that the outcome of this retreat will reflect in our foreign policy formulation which will in the long run have more impact on the. Foreign policy thrust of this administration."

Chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs‎, Senator Monsurant  Sumonnu, corroborated the ministers position that the retreat at the end will indeed equip the committee members to effectively carry out their oversight functions of the ministry.