Federal Government Defends SAMOA Agreement, Asserts It Benefits Nigeria
The Federal Government on Thursday defended the SAMOA Agreement, emphasizing that it was signed in the best interest of Nigeria. The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, clarified the government’s position in a statement in Abuja.
“On June 28, 2024, Nigeria signed the Samoa Agreement at the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS) secretariat in Brussels, Belgium,” Idris said. “The partnership agreement is between the EU and its member states on one hand, and the members of the OACPS on the other.”
Idris elaborated on the background of the agreement, stating, “Negotiations on the agreement started in 2018, on the sidelines of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly. It was signed in Apia, Samoa, on November 15, 2018, by all 27 EU member states and 47 of the 79 OACPS member states.”
He explained that the agreement comprises 103 articles, including a common foundational compact and three regional protocols: Africa–EU, Caribbean–EU, and Pacific–EU.
Each regional protocol addresses the specific issues relevant to its region. The African regional protocol, in particular, consists of two parts: a framework for cooperation and areas of cooperation.
These areas include inclusive and sustainable economic growth and development, human and social development, environment, natural resources management and climate change, peace and security, human rights, democracy and governance, and migration and mobility.
“Nigeria signed the agreement on Friday, June 28, 2024, after extensive reviews and consultations by the interministerial committee,” Idris noted.
This committee was convened by the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning (FMBEP), in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Federal Ministry of Justice (FMOJ).
The committee confirmed that none of the 103 articles and provisions of the agreement contravenes the 1999 Constitution as amended or any laws of Nigeria.
Furthermore, Nigeria’s endorsement was accompanied by a Statement of Declaration, dated June 26, 2024, which clarifies its understanding and context of the agreement within its jurisdiction.
Idris emphasized that any provision inconsistent with the laws of Nigeria shall be invalid.
“It is necessary to assure Nigerians that the President Bola Tinubu administration, being a rule-based government, will not enter into any international agreement that will be detrimental to the interest of the country and its citizens,” Idris asserted. “In negotiating the agreement, our officials strictly followed the mandates exchanged in 2018 between the EU and the OACPS for the process.”
Idris highlighted the importance of the Samoa Agreement, describing it as a vital legal framework for cooperation between the OACPS and the European Union.
The agreement aims to promote sustainable development, combat climate change and its effects, generate investment opportunities, and foster collaboration among OACPS member states on the international stage.
Idris also noted that only five of the 79 OACPS member states, including Equatorial Guinea (Africa); Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago (Caribbean); Nauru; and Tuvalu (Pacific), have yet to sign the agreement. All 27 EU member states signed on November 15, 2023.
