As the first Ambassador of Ecuador to Nigeria, how do you feel?
Well, I feel very proud because it is not an easy task to come into Nigeria with just two luggage and two other staff to open an embassy in the country. I believe we can achieve a lot within a short time. Though the volume of trade between Nigeria and Ecuador is very low, I’m optimistic about the future of our relations. I foresee improved bilateral and multilateral relations in the next five years.
What’s your assessment of Nigeria-Ecuador relations?
We had established diplomatic relations in 1979. I presented letters of credence to President Muhammadu Buhari on December 15, 2015 and that put a landmark on our relations, with the opening of the first Embassy of Ecuador in Western Africa. In the 1990s, Nigeria and Ecuador had an agreement on Economic, Scientific and Technical Co-operation. That is already a law in Ecuador. Recently, I sent a diplomatic note to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, informing him that we had finished our internal constitutional procedures, and asking for the procedures from the Nigerian side, so it could be accomplished by both countries. It’s a good framework to begin.
However, the relationship between Nigeria and Ecuador is more robust at the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) level. Probably most people do not know that Ecuador received Nigerian support when our pipeline was destroyed in the 1980s. Ecuador also played a vital role in the emergence of Mohammed Barkindo of Nigeria as the OPEC secretary general. We are supporting the election of Nigeria in the International Civil Aviation Organization in the next elections, while Nigeria is also supporting the re-election of Ambassador Marcelo Vazquez to the International Law Commission.
Also on diversification of the economy, we are ready to partner with Nigeria to boost the agricultural sector. We have a good number of research institutes that can offer technical assistance in the area of food production.
Ecuador is hosting the next Africa-South America (ASA) Summit. What should we expect from the meeting?
For me, the main expectation is the re-launch of the forum. It was first launched in Abuja during the Obasanjo regime in 2006. I believe we need to work hard on the forum to strengthen our economic relations. The authorities of both Africa and South America need to outline issues of importance to the citizenry in a short but comprehensive document and strive to implement the outcome as fast as possible. Ecuador, as an ad hoc secretariat, had made all the efforts to prepare the documents for the summit from the South American side, and we expect to have a reply from the African Union.
Which area of cooperation should Africa and South America focus on?
At the moment, African Union is working closely with China, India and Japan but neglecting South America. I think the union should also try to explore opportunities that abound in South and Latin Americas. It should work to see which areas we can cooperate because Africa and South America have lots to benefits from each other. Our diplomats need to remember that both regions have historical ties that need to be strengthened by cooperation on issues such as climate change, human rights, peace and security. From my point of view, the previous ASA meetings had produced long documents that had not focused on areas of interest for both regions such as health and agriculture. Both are key areas that guarantee the deliverance of democratic dividends for the grassroots population.
What should Nigerians expect from Ecuador as one of the foreign exhibitors at the forthcoming 11th Abuja international trade fair?
We have opened a commercial section at the embassy, which is saddled with the task of exploring the Nigerian market to see which Ecuadorian products will be of interest to Nigerians. We will show that Ecuador is a country where you can go for tourism, investment and make business with our exported products such as Tuna, flowers, candies of high quality standard that are being accepted in the European Union and United States markets. Nigerians and Ecuadorians have a lot of things to do together but don’t know each other well. If you don’t know people, you can’t trade with them. The international trade fair will provide a platform for business groups from both countries to meet and trade, and this will impact significantly on our trade relations.
