By Sunday Ani
An international humanitarian organisation affiliated to the United Nations, the United Towns Agency (UTA), has taken steps to strengthen bilateral economic cooperation between Nigeria and Libya, as well as ensure the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) between the two countries.
The organisation’s headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and its country office in Nigeria, are leading the Libyan Minister of African Affairs, Issa Majid Mansour, and his ministerial delegation on an economic-diplomatic visit to strengthen the existing bilateral trade relations between the two countries.
Addressing a press conference recently, the visiting UTA Secretary General, Eya Essif, said several meetings between Nigerian Foreign Affairs officials, traditional rulers, women football league and Libyan delegation have been scheduled in this regard.
She said the organisation, the Libyan government and the Italian government were involved in a tripartite arrangement to put an end to the horrendous suffering and deaths of Nigerian irregular migrants seeking to cross the Mediterranean Sea into Europe.
The secretary general explained that part of the arrangements was the introduction of skill acquisition programmes for the training of young Nigerian artisans, who would ultimately and legitimately be hired in Europe.
The UTA Country Director in Nigeria, Abigail Amalaha, enumerated the various humanitarian programmes and achievements of the organisation in the last one year, and assured the visit of Essif would further spur her and her team to achieve more.
She said UTA would collaborate with various ministries and agencies to achieve the SDGs and tackle the humanitarian crisis and poverty in some parts of the country.
The UTA office in Abuja was officially inaugurated by Essif, Chairman of UTA Board of Trustees, Usman Nga Kupi (Emir of Abuja); Abubakar Jimoh, and other board members.